The Wedding Planner
by jericho2k
Summary: Mercedes Jones' wedding planning business is failing thanks to Sam Evans, who is relentless in his pursuit of her. Cue drama in changing rooms,vestries,restrooms,wedding cars...what the hell is a girl to do to keep her business together and her heart safe?
1. Driveby

Disclaimer: Don't own them, if I did they would be together a lot longer than the measly 3 episodes at the end of the season!

Song is Driveby by Train

Shining Light will be updated soon, its currently with my beta so should hopefully be updating soon.

Big shout out to Vangiefan from Gleeforum-this is a little bit of Wanky to tide you over while you wait for the M outtake from Shining Light!

Chapter 1 Driveby

On the other side of a street I knew  
Stood a girl that looked like you  
I guess thats deja vu  
But I thought this can't be true  
Cause you moved to west L.A or New York or Santa Fe  
Or where ever to get away from me  
Oh but that one night  
Was more than just right  
I didn't leave you cause I was all through  
Oh I was overwhelmed, and frankly scared as hell  
Because I really fell for you  
Oh I swear to you  
I'll be there for you  
This is not a drive by  
Just a shy guy looking for a two ply  
Hefty bag to hold my love  
When you move me everything is groovy  
They don't like it sue me  
mmm the way you do me  
Oh I swear to you  
I'll be there for you  
This is not a drive by  
On the upside of a downward spiral  
My love for you went viral  
And I loved you every mile you drove away  
But now here you are again  
So let's skip the "how you been"And  
get down to the "more than friends" at last  
Oh but that one night  
Is still the highlight  
I didn't need you until I came to  
[ From : . ]

and I was overwhelmed, in fact as scared as hell  
Because I really fell for you  
Oh I swear to you  
I'll be there for you  
This is not a drive by  
Just a shy guy looking for a two ply  
Hefty bag to hold my love  
When you move me everything is groovy  
They don't like it sue me  
mmm the way you do me  
Oh I swear to you  
I'll be there for you  
This is not a drive by  
Please believe that when I leave  
There's nothing up my sleeve but love for you  
And a little time to get my head together too  
On the other side of a street I knew  
Stood a girl that looked like you  
I guess thats deja vu  
But I thought this can't be true  
Cause  
Oh I swear to you  
I'll be there for you  
This is not a drive by  
Just a shy guy looking for a two ply  
Hefty bag to hold my love  
When you move me everything is groovy  
They don't like it sue me  
mmm the way you do me  
Oh I swear to you  
I'll be there for you  
This is not a drive by

'What are we going to do, Mercedes?' Quinn Fabray looked at her best friend and business partner in despair, helplessness washing over her in great, unyielding waves.

'Hell if I know!' Mercedes groaned dropping her forehead on the table in front of her. Her best friend eyed her through worried green eyes.

'We've had no clients for the last two months, not since….'

'Not since Mr Ennis dropped dead at the wedding,' Mercedes finished for her wearily. How it could all have gone so horribly wrong she still had no clue. They had been so certain that they had a winning formula, that their business would grow and prosper that they had never considered what would happen if it didn't.

'We have enough money left to cover one more month's rent on the shop,' Quinn informed her morosely. 'After that…' she trailed off. Mercedes knew what came after that statement. After that their business would be heading down the toilet and out to sea along with the scant bit that was left of their savings and their pride.

'Damn that Jacob Ben Israel!.' Mercedes' fist banged on the table causing the blonde to jump slightly in shock.

'Keep your voice down, for heaven's sake,' Quinn admonished, eyes darting around the bar, coming back quickly to rest on her best friend when she realised that they had indeed attracted the attention of quite a few men standing up at the bar and sitting at the tables spread out around the dance floor of the club.

'If he hadn't written that damned article!' Mercedes grabbed hold of her shot of Patron and knocked it back in one fell swoop.

'Go easy on that!' Quinn hissed, frowning fiercely at her. 'I don't want to have to pretend to be your lesbian lover again in order to extricate you from the clutches of some slimy lothario!' Both girls knew Mercedes could not hold her drink, and so she made it a point not to indulge. On the rare occasions she had, Quinn had always been there to bail her out of whatever situation she had gotten herself into.

'What are we doing here again?' Mercedes asked sighing.

'We are meeting Santana and Kurt here for a night out, although Lord knows I'm not in the mood for this crap tonight,' Quinn answered, staring intently at the bar.

'What are you looking at? See something you like?' Mercedes asked teasingly.

'Don't look now-' Quinn broke off and rolled her eyes as Mercedes craned her neck and looked in the direction that she had previously been looking in. 'You are so not discreet, Mercy!'

'What? I don't see anything!' Mercedes huffed before turning back to her second shot.

'There's this guy…he's looking at you,' Quinn told her, causing her to put the shot glass down untouched. Mercedes looked again in the direction Quinn had indicated and sure enough there was a guy standing at the bar in what appeared to be a group of friends, staring intensely at them. He was tall, blonde and very good looking-no scratch that he was drop dead gorgeous, in a black fitted v-neck shirt and black jeans that moulded to his body just right. Mercedes snorted and turned away disinterested.

'He's not looking at me, Quinn. He's looking at you,' she said shaking her head. Guys like that did not look at girls like her. There was just like an unwritten law about it, she was sure.

'I don't think so, Mercedes,' Quinn replied suddenly glaring at the stranger, taken aback by how instead of being embarrassed that he was caught staring, he raised his glass in their direction and pointed towards Mercedes. Quinn nudged her elbow causing her to spill part of the shot which she had been about to down on the table.

'Quinn! What?' she asked in annoyance.

'The guy! He's pointing at you, I think he wants me to get you to look at him!' Quinn said outraged. Mercedes looked over pointedly at the guy and frowned fiercely. She was in no mood to deal with ridiculous shenanigans tonight and she was letting him know it in no uncertain terms. Instead of looking away, the blonde smiled a heart-stopping smile and waved. _Great, obviously a damn fool… just ignore him and he'll stop_. Contenting herself with sending him a final murderous look she turned back to Quinn.

'You know, Mercy he looks awfully familiar…' Quinn's brow was furrowed as she tried to place exactly where she had seen the guy before.

'Really? Hadn't noticed,' she muttered grumpily.

'I'm sure I've seen him before…in fact I _know_ I have. A face like that you don't forget too easily,' Quinn continued narrowing her eyes. 'Never mind I'm sure it'll come to me eventually.'

'Yo bitches!' The rude greeting broke abruptly into Quinn's musings.

They were interrupted by the arrival of their friends at their table and Mercedes found herself looking up at her friend Santana Lopez, her dark hair falling into loose sexy waves and wearing a red dress that was positively plastered to her like a second skin, making her seem like sex personified. She couldn't resist turning back a moment to see the blonde's reaction to her friend's entrance but to her disconcertion his gaze was still focused on her and only her.

'What Satan here really means to say is 'Good evening'' her other best friend Kurt excused before hugging Quinn, then moving around the table to pull Mercedes into an enthusiastic embrace.

'Whatevs!' Santana drawled rolling her eyes and dropping down on the seat next to Quinn. 'What's buzzing?'

'That guy over there is totally checking Mercedes out but she's giving him the stink eye,' Quinn said conspiratorially.

'Which one?' Santana turned round fully in her seat to scan the bar. Mercedes groaned; if Quinn thought that she lacked discretion, Santana was on a whole other level.

'Turn back around! Don't you have any decorum?' Quinn hissed at her.

Santana's eyes came to rest on a tall blonde man and drew a sharp intake of breath and started fanning herself exaggeratedly. This guy was quite simple gorgeous and sexy and his focus was solely on her dark-skinned friend.

'Oh my sweet Jesus,' Kurt breathed as he too stared in the man's direction. 'Is it weird that I would totally give anything to be that shirt?' Mercedes smacked her best friend on the arm.

'Stop that! You have Blaine remember? About this high, handsome and obsessed about hair gel?'

'I know and I love him, you know that Mercy-me…but I can still look,' Kurt smiled without shame.

'Damn, Wheezy! He's, like, stripping you with his damned eyes! Oh yes Mercy… me gusta. I definitely like him for you…he could loosen you up a bit...maybe a lot. Lawd, look at that mouth! Those lips are huge! I bet his tongue could show you a real good time. Mmmm, shame I'm not into guys because he definitely looks like he could give some great orga-'Mercedes had shot up from her seat and leaned across Quinn to slap a hand over her friend's mouth.

'Don't you dare finish that sentence!' she risked a glance at the blonde and instantly wished she hadn't. She suddenly felt naked, which was ridiculous, she told herself. His didn't break his stare, if anything it just grew in intensity and she shifted uncomfortably. This guy was really shameless.

Santana shook her off, smiling and waving at him, as Mercedes tried unsuccessfully to grab her hand and yank it down.

'Satan! Stop making a scene!' Quinn admonished her, but the smile playing about her lips indicated that she at least was enjoying the situation a little too much. Santana beckoned him over with a crook of her index finger, much to Mercedes' horror and her heart started to pound as he made his way over to their little group.

'Hi honey,' Santana smiled flirtatiously at him and Mercedes had to admit that even though she was a confirmed lesbian her friend was an expert at turning guys to putty in her hands and she doubted this guy was going to be an exception. To her surprise though, he merely smiled at Santana.

'Hey,' his voice was low and she shifted uncomfortably, agonisingly aware of what the sound of his voice was doing to her body. _Stop it! Get a hold of yourself, girl!_

'So, we kind of saw you staring,' Santana got straight to the point, going for the jugular.

'Santana! Stop it at once!' Mercedes hissed, mortified. Her cheeks were flaming she knew, and she thanked all that was holy that her dark complexion hid the signs of her excruciating embarrassment.

'What?' her friend shrugged her shoulders uncaringly 'You liking what you're seeing?' she addressed him again arching an eyebrow.

He smiled a slow, seductive smile, his eyes flicking over to Mercedes and running the length and breadth of her body in a blatantly admiring appraisal.

'Oh yes, Ma'am…I definitely like what I see,' Mercedes dragged a ragged breath in as she felt an ache start to pound heavily between her thighs and she squeezed them together willing it to stop immediately. She didn't even know this man, for heaven's sake!

'My dear God,' she heard Kurt's awed whisper behind her. She looked at Quinn who seemed to be studiously avoiding looking at the scene, her shoulders shaking slightly.

'Sam Evans,' he introduced himself shakinh Santana's hand before moving on to shake Kurt's.

'Kurt Hummel,' Kurt said smiling at the stranger 'this is Santana but we call her Satan…I'm sure you'll find out why soon enough,' Sam stepped closer to Mercedes and she stepped back something inside her screaming that her personal space was getting invaded. 'That is Quinn, over there,' Kurt indicated with a wave of his hand towards their blonde friend, who not trusting herself to speak, bit the inside of her cheeks and waved. Mercedes expected him to at least be admiring of Quinn's classic beauty but she could see nothing but polite interest in his gaze.

'And this…?' Sam's green eyes met hers, one eyebrow lifting in a totally inappropriate predatory gesture which let her know that his interest in _her _was nothing but polite.

'This is Mercedes Jones,' Kurt smirked at the obvious attraction playing out in front of him. Sam held his hand out and she stared at it distrustfully. Kurt nudged her gently lowering his head to whisper in her ear.

'Cedes, don't be rude,' There it was. Kurt knew the exact thing to say to make her do the opposite of what she wanted to so. Her mama had always been strict on politeness, a fact which judging by the way he was smirking Kurt totally remembered, and Mercedes grimaced at the thought of what her mother would say if she knew her daughter had waived the social niceties she had been brought up with.

She reluctantly put her hand in his and stifled a gasp as his fingers, warm and sure closed about hers tightly. He lifted her hand to his mouth and placed a hot kiss to the back of her hand, the act simple and ordinary, but to all present charged with a tension that was in nature very sexual. Mercedes tried to tug her hand back but he wouldn't release it, instead turning her wrist over and pressing another kiss to her pulse point and this time she could not stop the gasp that escaped her as she felt his lips on her wrist. Heat shot through her right to her core and she ripped her hand away, rubbing at the place where his lips had touched her skin.

'Pleased to meet you,' she managed to get out before turning on her heel and breaking into a fast walk which was really just short of a run, plunging into the crowd that was forming on the dance floor, without a backward glance.

'Damn, fish lips!' Santana exclaimed 'that's the first time any man has been able to get Mercedes Jones to run away like that!' Sam's face didn't even register annoyance at the insult she had thrown at him; his eyes were focused on Mercedes' retreating back.

'Don't mind Mercy-me,' Kurt said grinning slyly 'she loves a good chase,' crossing his fingers behind his back. Sam Evans was exactly what Mercedes needed in his opinion. She was too strait-laced, too serious and as Santana was wont to say she was in need of a damned good fuck and this guy here could be the guy to give it to her.

'Are you married?' the question came from Quinn, who was now frowning slightly. Sam held up his left hand in front of her. No ring and better yet no obvious ring marks.

'Fiancée? Girlfriend?' she continued fixing him with an icy stare.

'Neither.' He replied seriously before his face split into a wide grin 'at least not yet. Watch this space,' and with that he nodded to them and made his way over to the dance floor in pursuit of Mercedes.

'Let the games begin' Kurt said raising Mercedes' abandoned shot glass to his lips and knocking it back. Santana smiled wickedly before opening her purse and pulling out a twenty dollar bill.

'Who wants to bet he gets her to go home with him by the end of the night!'

'Satan!' came the scandalised yelp from Kurt. Then smiling widely he pulled out a twenty and set it down on the table. 'I say he has her in the toilets by the end of the night,'

'Stop that!' Quinn frowned at them fiercely. 'This is _Mercedes _we are talking about. You know the girl that is not into casual sex or random hook-ups?'

'What's stuck up your ass?' Santana returned unapologetically. Quinn sighed and pulled out her own twenty dollar bill.

'Fine…I bet that he'll only get her number by the end of the night….but you know what guys? I'm sure I've seen him somewhere before...'

* * *

Sam stood at the bar in the club which he had been dragged into by his friends, nursing his bottle of beer and surveying the dance floor with distaste. He really hadn't wanted to venture out tonight but Finn and Puck wouldn't take no for an answer, especially as they had decided it was going to be a celebratory outing in honour of Finn's engagement to his girlfriend Rachel.

'Hot damn!' he heard Puck exclaim. He turned and followed Puck's gaze and his eyes came to rest on two girls who were currently making their way to one of the tables towards the side of the dance floor. The taller of the two, a slender blonde leaned forward and whispered something in her friend's ear before making er way to the bar. She soon returned to the table with drinks and set them down in front of the other girl.

'Wouldn't have thought she was your type, dude,' Sam said turning back to the bar. Granted the girl was beautiful but with a kind of icy beauty that left him stone cold.

'Oh she is right up my street, trust me,' Puck growled.

'Puckerman, you don't stand a chance-'Sam was looking back over his shoulder when he broke off suddenly with a strangled gasp. The other girl was now fully facing him and he could see every feature of her face and the curves of her body. This girl was stunning, no… gorgeous, no…divine. He couldn't think of an adjective sufficient enough to describe her. She was short and curvy, her dark skin looking like silky molten chocolate and he knew he'd give anything and everything he had to taste it. She wore a deep purple tunic dressed which highlighted her curves mouth-wateringly well, with leggings and boots with an impossibly high heel and Sam suddenly had a vision of her in his bed with nothing but those damned boots on, head thrown back in ecstasy. He shifted uncomfortably as he grew hard just from that one vision. Her hair fell in soft curls framing her face with a clip on either side of her head pulling the waves back slightly. Puck grinned knowingly.

'And that girl is definitely _not _your type judging by the way your tongue is hanging outta your mouth,' he said sarcasm dripping from his tone. Sam barely heard his friend's words as he gazed entranced at her. She picked up a shot glass and downed it in one, her pretty pink tongue snaking out to lick her bottom lip, the action making his cock jump. He groaned, oh yes she was definitely his type no doubt about it. Her friend said something to her and as she looked at him briefly before lowering her head and averting her gaze. Her friend however maintained her gaze fixed on him so he took a chance, raised his glass and pointed towards the other girl. The blonde's mouth formed an o and he watched as she nudged her friend, who raised her eyes to his again. Suddenly he was on the receiving end of a look that said if she had her way he'd be dead and cremated.

'Ha! Looks like your girl just ain't into you!' Puck clapped him on the back consolingly. Sam shrugged unconcernedly; he'd already made up his mind he was not going to let this girl get away. He continued watching as a slim, black haired Latin woman approached their table and greeted them, a dark-haired man following in her wake. Sam tensed for a minute before realising this guy was no threat; unless he was very much mistaken he batted for the opposite team, judging by the outlandishly stylish outfit he was wearing. Suddenly he was the focus of three pairs of eyes' intense scrutiny and watching the Latin girl beckon him with her finger he smiled in triumph. This was his way in.

'Where are you going, man?' Puck asked him in surprise.

'Take a good, long look Puck...that's the girl I'm going to marry,' he told his friend seriously then made his way over to the little group at the table leaving Puck spluttering in shock. _Game on, Sammy boy, Game on._

* * *

Mercedes pushed her way into the throng of dancing people trying to put as much distance between her and the man her body recognised as an instant threat to her self control. Her wrist was burning from the touch of his lips and the insistent ache between her legs was making her wetter than she had thought possible. Dear God, how was it possible? She had never before felt this with anyone and she didn't even know the man! He might well be a serial killer with a basement full of unfortunate victims like her…unlikely she acknowledged but still possible. Maybe Santana was right, maybe she did need a good fuck, but her mind balked at the thought of a one night stand. She just wasn't made that way, had known it for a very long time so what was it about this man that made her want to explore the very real possibility of a one night stand with him? The material of her dress scratched against her breasts with every move she made, nipples hardening at the sensation and she moaned, biting her lip. She ploughed through the gyrating bodies in the centre of the floor and out of the other side…if she could just get to the restrooms she could try to alleviate the burning desire to come that she was currently experiencing. She winced ashamed at the thought of having to resort to such tactics and in a bathroom no less, but there was no way she could go back and face him in this state. Hurrying forward she spied the restrooms in the corner and she opened the door to the ladies room in relief. That relief was short lived as she was suddenly unceremoniously hustled through the door and spun around to face Sam Evans. He backed her up against the door, one hand braced flat on the door, the other reaching out to lock the door.

'You know, I'm an inquisitive kind of guy. So when a girl runs from me I naturally want to know why,' he smiled down at her teasingly.

Mercedes bunched her dress in her hands in an effort to stop herself grabbing him and ripping the clothes off his body. 'I-I-I'm not running,' she gasped, breasts rising and falling with every breath.

'No?' he said it so low she instinctively had to move closer to hear him and saw his gaze drop down to her lips. Realising her mistake, she tried to pull back but he followed closing the distance between them.

'No…look…I didn't really feel well,' she said the first thing that came into her head, her breath coming in panicky gasps, the look in his eyes telling her that he had seen through her flimsy excuse. He knew, she realised in mortification. He knew she wanted him and so badly. His hand rose to cup her face before his mouth descended on hers. He caught her bottom lip with his teeth, grazing it gently before his tongue slid along the small hurt caressing it. Mercedes opened her mouth thoughtlessly and his tongue slipped inside, exploring and duelling with hers. She moaned at the back of her throat as her hands flew up to thread through his dirty blonde hair. She had never been kissed like this before, as though just with one kiss her soul was fighting for dominance but already rejoicing in its defeat. His arms closed around her, pressing her against his body and lifting her up slightly against the door so that she could now feel every inch of him hot and hard against the juncture of her thighs. Her leg warpped around him of its own volition, helping to generate the hot delicious friction that had her nearly losing her mind.

'Christ, you feel so damned good,' he groaned in her ear, his low tone making her shiver in want. He kissed his way down her neck starting at her earlobe, leaving a trail of hot, sultry kisses which ended at the dip in her collarbone. He licked the smooth chocolate skin exposed by the neckline of the dress and muttered 'You taste so good,' the words blurred by the pressure of his lips on her skin. Mercedes tried to grab hold of her wits but the feel of his sinful lips erased any and all thoughts of resistance. His hand snaked under her dress and danced up past her ribcage stroking the soft flesh hidden by the material until the came to rest on top of her bra. Roughly pulling the cups of her bra down, his fingers tweaked her exposed nipples and she arched frantically against him as even more intense scorching heat pooled between her legs.

'Please…' she whimpered as his knee rubbed against her core achingly slow. Somewhere in the back of her mind a voice was screaming at her to stop but for the life of her she couldn't remember why. His mouth dropped to the swell of her breasts, nuzzling her through the silky material of the dress, the barrier somehow adding to the incredible need she felt coursing through her veins.

'Please…what?' he whispered as his fingers hooked into the waistband of her leggings, sliding inside her panties.

'Oh my God,' she breathed when she felt his fingers rubbing against her clit insistently whilst he lowered his head and kissed her. His tongue surged into her mouth at the same time his fingers entered her causing her to moan with abandonment.

'No, not God,' he growled against her lips 'Sam,' as his thumb flicked over her clit rhythmically. She threw her head back and closed her eyes, the sensations overwhelming completely so that all she could think about was how badly she needed to come and how badly she needed to fuck the man in front of her. He sped up slightly and his other hand moved up to pinch her nipple lightly and it was all she could do to keep from screaming. She bit down on her lip hard and his eyes darkened impossibly at the action.

'Uh-uh, Mercedes,' the way her drawled her name made her breath hitch in her throat and her body press against him wantonly. 'I want to hear you scream…I _have _to hear you scream…Are you going to scream for me, baby?'

'N-no, 'she panted turning her head away from him, trying to gain some sort of control but it was futile.

'Oh I think you are,' he teased he,r fingers thrusting surely and deeply inside of her. In one swift move he was on his knees tugging her leggings and panties down.

'Fuck, you're so wet and you smell so good, baby' he hissed before nestling his face between her thighs and swiping his tongue across her clit. Mercedes screamed a high guttural sound as she came, unable to stop herself, trying to push her way up the wall, away from his talented tongue, sure that she couldn't take any more. But he wouldn't let her. Anchoring his hands firmly about her hips he kept his tongue stroking deeply inside her before randomly flicking her clit. Just as she thought she was going to faint from the sheer ecstasy she was feeling he pulled away standing up to take her mouth roughly, letting her taste herself on him.

'Do you like how you taste? So sweet…I don't think I'm going to get enough of you,' he told her, picking her up striding over to the counter. Setting her down he grasped the back of her neck and kissed her again, her hands moving up to grasp his shirt.

'Mercedes! Mercedes are you in there?' Quinn. She stopped dead, a deer in the headlights look washing over her features. 'Mercedes? I know who he is! Sam Evans! It's _the _Sam Evans from Pronovia! The one who's putting us out of business!'

'Dear God no,' she whispered appalled, she could feel the blood draining out of her face.

'What?' Sam asked confused 'I don't know what-'he was cut off by Mercedes shoving him roughly away from her, jumping down from the counter. The realisation dawned in his mind and he said 'So you're _Jones and Fabray_ from Starlight Weddings,'

'Get the fuck away from me!' she screamed wrenching her leggings up, horrified at what she had let him do to her.

'Mercedes, come on, we can talk about this,' he held his hands out cajolingly, trying to calm her down enough to talk to her.

'No!' she pushed past him unlocking the door. He wrapped his arms around her from behind in an effort to detain her long enough to listen to him but her sharply connected with his solar plexus, winding him and forcing him to let go of her. She rushed out of the door, tears of shame streaming down her face. How could she have let him do that to her? Dear God, in a restroom! Sam Evans from Pronovia….it was like a bad nightmare. Quinn took one look at her face and grabbed her hand pulling her onto the dance floor, pressing through the crowd towards their table.

'I need to get out of here!' Mercedes cried almost hysterically.

'Mi Niña! Was Trouty Mouth that bad?' Santana frowned disbelievingly. Kurt's eyes widened as he took in her dishevelled state.

'Pay up, Satan! I called it,' he said gloatingly until he caught sight of the tears streaming down her face.

'Mercy-me?' he asked worriedly, looking at Quinn who shook her head, her face tight.

'I've got to go…before he gets here,' she said turning on her heel pulling Quinn with her, beating a hasty retreat to the exit while Santana sighed and followed suit. They had just escaped through the door into the cool night air when an out of breath Sam Evans made it to their table.

'What in God's name did you do?' Kurt asked incredulously. When Sam opened his mouth to reply he added hastily 'No, forget I asked,'

'Where is she?' he scanned the room looking for her in vain.'

'She's gone. Look I don't know what you did, but she's-' Kurt began, censure dripping from his tone.

'I own Pronovia,' Sam cut across the lecture Kurt had been fully intending to give.

'Oh. _Oh…_' Kurt stared at him in horror. 'How is it that you're still in one piece?' he finished in stupefied awe.

'Look, I need to talk to her,' Sam said his heart sinking as Kurt shook his head.

'Forget it Blondie. There is no way she'll ever talk to you again,'

'Please, there's got to be some way I can talk to her,' he pleaded.

'Look chalk it up to another one night stand and leave it at that,' Kurt advised turning to leave.

'Please…look man I'm begging you,' Sam said in desperation.

'Why?' Kurt crossed his arms over his chest.

'This is _not_ a one night stand. I don't do one night stands. I know it sounds _crazy_ but I think she may be the one,' Sam tunnelled his fingers through his hair in frustration. There was no way he could give up now.

'She'll kill me if she finds out, so you better make my death worth it! All the glorious outfits I'll leave behind…and of course Blaine,' he sighed. . Kurt opened his wallet and extracted a white card tossing it on the table, much against his better judgement.

Sam picked it up turning it over in his hands reading the printed script on the embossed white card.

_Mercedes Jones, Wedding Planner, Starlight Brides._ Followed by the information he was looking for. An office number, a cell number and best of all an address. He smiled triumphantly.

'Good luck,' Kurt's parting shot did nothing to dampen his mood. He would go to Starlight Brides tomorrow. There was no point ringing, he knew she wouldn't talk to him. Better to confront her in person…he tucked the card into the pocket of his jeans and closed his eyes briefly remembering just how good she'd felt coming on his fingers and tongue. _The chase is on, no doubt about that,_ he thought smirking slightly, and there was no way, _no way_ Mercedes Jones was going to get away from him so easily.


	2. Lightening

**Disclaimer: Not Mine *sobs***

**Thank you to all those who have reviewed chapter 1 and all the alerts I've gotten-love ya loads!**

**Big shout out to MI8-you know who you guys are!**

**Song is Lightening by The Wanted**

You're in control  
Pressin' pause on my heartbeat  
Someone stole all the air  
So I can't speak now  
I know the chase is on  
I feel as though  
My time has come

How many times do I fly  
Through your head space  
Now it's speeding away  
From the safe place

Yeah, your skin  
The touch, the kiss  
The rush too much  
And here it comes

When your lips touch mine  
It's the kiss of life  
I know  
I know that it's a little bit frightening  
We might as well be playing  
With lightning

We touch like,  
Like it's our first time  
Oh oh  
I know that it's a little bit frightening  
We might as well be playing  
With lightning now

Oh oh  
Oh oh

Just you and me and the  
Coats in the back room  
Learning things they don't  
Teach in the classroom

Now, you're here  
I feel the fear  
But everything  
Is oh so clear

I've been addicted to you  
Since the first hit  
Out of control like a surge of electric

Yeah, your skin  
The touch, the kiss  
The rush, too much  
And here it comes

When your lips touch mine  
It's the kiss of life  
I know  
I know that it's a little bit frightening  
We might as well be playing  
With lightning

We touch like,  
Like it's our first time  
Oh oh  
I know that it's a little bit frightening  
We might as well be playing  
With lightning now

Oh oh  
Oh oh  
Oh oh  
Oh oh

Your skin, the touch  
The kiss, too much  
Your skin, the touch  
The kiss, the rush  
Your skin, the touch  
The kiss, too much  
The rush, the rush  
The rush, the rush

When your lips touch mine  
It's the kiss of life  
I know  
I know that it's a little bit frightening  
We might as well be playing  
With lightning

We touch like,  
Like it's our first time  
Oh oh  
I know that it's a little bit frightening  
We might as well be playing  
With lightning now

Oh oh  
Oh oh

'Well?' the tone of the voice that asked the question managed to convey a sense of exasperation and worry all at the same time and Quinn sighed honestly not sure if she was going to be able to answer it at all.

'I don' know…' she shrugged helplessly then mentally slapped herself as she realised that Kurt would not be able to see her gesture through the phone line.

'What do you mean you don't know?' his voice was uncharacteristically sharp.

'She wouldn't talk about it…I don't know _what _ happened in that restroom,' Quinn told him truthfully. 'All I know is that something definitely went down between them.'

'I'll say. If they didn't fuck, it was due to your impeccable timing only. But no matter how angry she was, she had that post-orgasmic glow in her eyes…there's no erasing that. Trust me I've seen it too many times not to recognise it,'

'Kurt, we are talking about Mercedes! I highly doubt-'Quinn's outraged tone was suddenly cut short by a loud snort at the other end of the line.

'I'm telling you Quinnie dear, that the sexual tension between them was off the charts…the spark was so hot that I half expected her to get pregnant from just one look!'

'Kurt!' Quinn was aghast.

'_Are you blind?'_ Kurt's turned bordered on the incredulous.

'No, of course not but there is no way Mercy would have a one night stand let alone do it in a public restroom!'

'Did you even see him? The man was drop dead gorgeous…anyone with eyes in their head could see that, and the 'fuck me' vibe was out in full force and directed straight at our Mercy-me…Even Santana admitted that had she been straight she would've climbed him like a tree,'

'Whatever! You believe what you want to and I'll believe what I want to,' Quinn told him firmly. 'Either way we won't know what happened because she refuses to discuss it! As far as she is concerned if she ever lays eyes on him again it'll be too soon,'

'About that…' Kurt trailed off and the sheepish note in his tone had Quinn on high alert and her blood pressure spiking.

'What have you done?' she rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly as she waited for his response. How the hell did either Kurt or Santana land them in scrapes like this?

'I may or may not have accidentally on purpose given him Mercy's business card,' came the diffident reply.

'Shit Kurt! Are you crazy!' she practically shrieked down the phone line. Kurt winced at the other end. For Quinn to curse was definitely a bad sign.

'Look aside from the whole rivals in business issue, the guy was _all_ about Mercedes and she was definitely into him. I just gave him helping hand,'

'Yes, the same hand that is going to be chopped off your body when Mercedes finds out what you've done. She will hang, draw and quarter you! Be picking out a nice funeral outfit from your fashion collection to be buried in because you're going to be needing it very soon,' she told him acidly.

'Come on Q, honey. No need to be so hasty. If I don't mention it and you don't mention it…' Kurt trailed off hopefully.

'You're asking me to lie now?' Quinn could not believe the sheer cheek.

'Not lie per se. Just don't mention you know is all,' Kurt suggested cajolingly. Quinn shook her head and pulled the receiver away from her ear looking at it like it had grown two heads. What planet did Kurt live on?

'Kurt, even if I don't say anything it still does not change the fact that Sam Evans is one of the reasons this business is going down the toilet. She is not going to suffer the fool gladly.' Of that Quinn was absolutely sure. Mercedes Jones would sooner stick a cravat pin through Sam Evans' heart then look at him.

'Whatever he's done, he was _not _responsible for that man collapsing and dying at that wedding; the man's patently unhealthy lifestyle was what carried him off, nor for the bride jilting her groom at the altar to run off with his best friend, nor was he responsible for the groom who was discovered to be an illegal immigrant transvestite from Mexico,'' Kurt said reasonably.

'Yes but-'

'He wasn't responsible for the article that moron Jacob Ben Israel wrote in the Lima Gazette about your seemingly cursed business and your haunted premises.' He overrode her in his defence of Sam.

'Yes, but he was responsible for the interview he gave that idiot about how to run a _real_ bridal consultancy…not to mention the advert he took out on the billboards around town and in the paper itself. Mercedes is convinced that the wording was used specifically to bang another nail in our coffin. And I don't think she's far off the mark. I mean what idiot would use the words "Others promise you _starlight _romance but here at Pronovia we deliver a fairy-tale without the drama." That was a downright open dig at us,' Quinn's eyes widened as she caught sight of Mercedes through the shop windows.

'Well I-'

'She's here! Can't talk anymore!' Quinn hissed then rapidly hung up. Mercedes trudged through the doors barely glancing at the beautiful displays of wedding dresses they had put in the window the previous afternoon. They had agreed upon their latest wedding theme, _enchanted evening_ and had created what was arguably their most enticing shop window yet but Mercedes was no longer excited by it and it was all Sam Evans' fault.

'Hey,' Quinn greeted her from behind the cash desk, where she was currently perched on a stool.

'Hey,' Mercedes looked up briefly and Quinn gasped. Mercedes knew she looked like hell; she had slept very little the entire night and it showed. Her mind kept replaying the scene in the restroom, what she had done, what she had let him do until the ache between her legs became almost unbearable. Dear heaven, if Quinn hadn't interrupted when she had, she would have let him fuck her on the counter she was absolutely one hundred per cent sure. How the mighty are fallen, she bitched inwardly at herself. How many times had she preached to her friends about the dangers of one night stands, yet there she had been last night, panties round her ankles while a complete stranger pleasured her until she came! The icing on the cake had been of course that far from being a complete stranger, Sam had turned out to be the owner of a rival bridal consultancy. What was more one that had ruthlessly tried to put them out of business, and unless a miracle happened within the next month he would succeed.

'Want to talk about it?' Quinn asked sympathetically.

'No,' she sighed slinging her bag into the small office at the back of the store. 'I need to just forget about it. No point dwelling on the disaster that was last night,'

'It wasn't so bad,' Quinn tried to cheer her up, failing miserably.

'It wasn't so bad?' Mercedes echoed incredulously. What the hell was so great about ending up in a restroom with some guy's face between your thighs, screaming as he tongue-fucked you? Mercedes looked at Quinn's horror-struck face and realised with a sinking feeling of shame she had uttered the last part out loud.

'TMI! TMI!' Quinn cried jumping down off the stools, hands covering her ears. 'La, la, la pretty ponies...'

Mercedes closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Could this day get any worse? When she opened them it appeared that evidently the day _could_ indeed get much worse. Her eyes widened in disbelief before she spun around, diving through the office door and closing it to.

'What the hell?' Quinn tried to open the door but Mercedes held it fast.

'Just get the fuck rid of him!' Mercedes hissed from behind the door.

'Get rid of wh-' the question died on Quinn's lips as she spied the unmistakable head of blond hair belonging to one Sam Evans come in to view, stepping out from an immaculate red sports car.

'Oh fuck!' for the second time, Quinn swore breaking her self-imposed monthly quota of swear words. 'What do I tell him if he asks for you?'

'I don't give a damn what you tell him! Tell him I'm on my way to Timbuktu, or I've run off to join hippie commune, I don't care! Just get him gone!'

Quinn squared her shoulders and turned towards the door. Patting her immaculate blond hair down, she summoned her most charming smile as the door opened.

'Hello, Mr Evans…'

Sam parked his car a few car lengths away from Starlight Brides on the opposite side of the road and switched the engine off. His gaze flicked out of the window at the shop front and his eyebrows rose at the display in the window. It was good; it was damned good he had to admit. They had captured the essence of the perfect wedding with their choice of a stunning wedding dress, ivory in colour but the bodice embroidered with silver and lilac swirls and tiny sparkling jewels embedded in the silk. The skirt flared out in an A-line with the embroidery continuing down the side of the dress. The bridesmaids dressed were strapless and simple in the same lilac as the swirls on the dress and complemented it beautifully. The window was strewn with twinkling fairy lights, trailing over artificial trees strategically placed behind the dresses. _Enchanted Wedding_, he read the golden script which scrolled across the window and nodded. They certainly had made it enchanting. He gazed at the dress again, imagining what Mercedes would look like in it and a small smile tugged at the corner of his cheek. Beautiful, no doubt and he was going to make it his mission in life to find out.

Of course that might prove a bit difficult, him being who he was. That had automatically put him on a bad footing with her. He now had to convince her that he was not trying to destroy her business and somehow he thought hell would freeze over before she was in the mood for listening to anything he had to say. Damn that shit Jacob Ben Israel! He hadn't a clue when he was interviewed about his successful bridal operation that the little fuck would link it to the unfortunate article he had written on Starlight Brides. The piece had been little more than made up bullshit, in Sam's opinion, hinting that Quinn Fabray and Mercedes Jones' business was cursed. Three wedding calamities in three months, the last one resulting in the death of the father of the bride and the moron had chosen to lay the blame firmly at the door of Starlight Brides and their supposedly haunted building. Never mind that the man in question had led a sedentary lifestyle, weighed close to three hundred pounds and lived by a diet of junk food.

The object of his thoughts suddenly turned the corner, head bent not looking in his direction. He breathed a sigh of relief. If he had to then he'd confront her in the street, although he hadn't planned on it, preferring the opportunity of cornering her again. He watched as she went in and began to count. One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi… By the time he got to ten he stepped out of the car, locking it, smirking slightly as he headed across the road and to beard his prey in her lair._ Show time, Sam, you're up._

* * *

'Hello Mr Evans…' Quinn greeted him politely, smiling. 'What brings you here?'

'It's Sam, please' he returned, ever the charmer. 'I'm looking for Mercedes,'

Quinn tensed slightly before forcing herself to relax. Mercedes was behind the office door, and there was no way Sam Evans could barge in there without permission, so there was really no need to be nervous.

'She's not here,' she told him, shaking her head slightly and was surprised by the unholy smile spreading across his face.

'Oh? When will she be back?' he asked interestedly. Quinn had the most horrendous feeling this man knew she was lying. She was a horrible liar, she knew it and evidently he did too judging at the way his eyes were dancing with laughter. Her eyes involuntarily flicked to the office door before returning to his.

'I'm not sure…she's gone to visit a sick relative,' she said the first thing that came into her head, wincing inwardly at how hesitant it sounded. 'Yes, she's gone out of state,' she continued injecting confidence into her tone.

'Right. And when will she be back?' the question was voiced with a hint of laughter.

Quinn waved her hand airily, mustering up a look of regret as she uttered yet another lie to add to her growing list.

'I'm not sure, really. I mean how long do these things take? No one can be sure…' she was rambling and she knew it but something about the guy made her nervous. He knew she was lying, she'd bet her bottom dollar on it, yet he wasn't calling her out on it.

'Isn't that irresponsible?' he questioned frowning. 'I mean to leave your business partner in the lurch like that?' Quinn cringed as she heard an unmistakable thump come from the other side of the door.

Sam cocked his head to one side and gazed pointedly at the door.

'Must be the cat,' Quinn smiled sickeningly before continuing ' I will let her know of course as soon as she comes back…' she trailed off her attention suddenly focusing on the front of the shop where a customer, the first one in a few weeks stepped through the door. She hesitated. She was torn; on the one hand Sam did not seem to be disposed to leave but on the other they could not afford to lose a potential customer.

'Don't worry, I'll wait here,' he said quietly smiling at her in the face of the distrustful look she was giving him. Mentally shrugging , she realised she had no choice and made her way over to the woman who was now looking at the racks of wedding dresses with what appeared to be her daughter. After all, she told herself firmly, how much trouble could he make?

Sam held back his laughter as he watched Quinn approach her customers. Shit, the girl obviously had no clue what a terrible liar she was! Even if Sam had not seen Mercedes enter the building with his own eyes he would've known by the look on Quinn Fabray's face. He smirked at the door behind the counter, biting his lip. Oh yes, his baby was behind that door, he had no doubt.

Keeping an eye on Quinn who was now totally engrossed with her customer, he raised his voice slightly in the direction of the door.

'Ok well I'll be going then. If you could pass my message on to Mercedes that'd be cool.' He inched closer to the door, stood to the side and waited.

Inside the office Mercedes glowered in quiet rage. She had been so incensed that he had dared to call her irresponsible that she had given an involuntary start and hit the door. She had been sure that he was about to march in and confront her but then she heard Quinn explain the noise away and he seemingly accepted it. What a fool. If he couldn't see what a bad liar Quinn was…she shook her head. Then she heard the golden words she'd been longing to hear since he'd got there.

'Ok well I'll be going then. If you could pass my message on to Mercedes that'd be cool.'

She almost did a victory dance, but decided that the risk wasn't worth it. She waited five minutes before opening the door sailing through it.

'Has that awful man gone? Good riddan-'she stopped dead as she locked eyes with none other than Sam Evans standing at the side of the door, smirking sexily at her.

'Hey Mercedes. Glad to see your _friend_ has made such a speedy recovery,'

'What are you doing here?' she snarled at him, heat rushing into her cheeks as she was caught red handed. Flicking a glance over the shop she saw Quinn, busy with a customer.

'Waiting for you. I need to talk to you, Mercedes,' he replied, green eyes intently focused on her.

'I don't have anything to say to you _Mr Evans,_' she told her firmly, attempting to move past him but effectively blocked by his arm.

'Why so formal Mercedes…shouldn't we be on first name terms?' he grinned wickedly and her heart sank.

'Now you see here, Sam Evans, we have nothing, _nothing_, to discuss! Now get the hell out-'she stopped dead cringing with embarrassment as he cut across her.

'I mean…after all I had my head between your thighs last night, my fingers buried deep inside you and my tongue-'

She grabbed hold of his white V-neck T-shirt and dragged him inside the cramped space.

'_Are you fucking crazy?' _ She said fiercely, rounding on him.

'I don't suppose you'd believe me if I said crazy about you?' he asked hopefully.

'Leave me the hell alone! I mean it!' she actually stamped her foot in the floor in a complete loss of temper.

'Sorry, can't do that,' his tone suggesting his was anything but sorry. He advanced on her slowly, cornering her in the small room. She tried to inch away to one side but he had effectively backed her up against the wall and anchored his arms on either side of her head.

'Don't you dare touch me!' she tried to sound commanding, tried to gain some sort of control of the situation but it came out as an almost breathless invitation. The heat in her core that had started as soon as she had seen him stepping out of his car, intensified with a vicious intensity and she pressed her thighs together in desperation. If he didn't get out of her space and now she'd end up ripping his clothes off and fucking him then and there, consequences be damned.

'No?' he asked his tone disbelieving as he anchored his hands on her hips, pulling her into his body. His lips hovered above hers for a split second before they crashed down on hers. She mewled against the assault of his tongue, mouth opening under his, her tongue snaking out to stroke his. Begging, imploring…completely wanton in its abandonment as it wrapped itself around his tongue.

'Fuck,' he muttered against her lips, as his hands skated under her shirt pushing it up to expose the smooth chocolate skin that had driven him out of his mind the previous night. He tried keeping control, he had to focus; fucking her now was not part of his goal today but it was proving hard to remember why not. He pulled the cups of her bra down roughly and the globes with which he had fantasised all last night spilled into his hands. His head bent and he took a dusky nipple in his mouth, watching as she slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a load moan. One of his hands drifted down and under her skirt, fingers questing, rubbing over her entrance insistently. Shoving her panties out of the way his fingers found their goal and she smirked as she bit her lip hard.

'Please don't, Quinn could walk in at any minute,' she muttered brokenly. His fingers slide inside and she let keened at the pleasure that she had missed since the previous night, coursing through her veins once again. Her hand went to cover her mouth again but he pulled his hand away from her centre and grabbed both her wrists in one hand. He then slid his fingers back inside her, his thumb grazing slowly and deliberately over her clit.

'What are you doing?' she moaned helplessly.

'You're not going to keep quiet, baby. You're going to scream so that everyone can hear you,' he told her smiling sinfully at her. She shook her head, fear lighting her eyes.

'Please…no!' she begged, her breath hitching as he pumped his fingers deeper into her, his thumb continuing its slow, rhythmic rubbing of her clit, driving her insane with want.

He dropped to his knees, her hands still imprisoned in one hand and his mouth, hovered over her. She shuddered as his tongue snaked out to stroke up her slit. His tongue swept over her clit laving diligently at the small bundle of nerves and she tried to flex her body away from him but there was nowhere to go. He knew she was close, the bucking of her hips told him and shit if he wasn't desperate to slide his cock into her depths but he had to bide his time. His visit had a purpose and he was going to follow it through even if he ended up with the most serious case of blue-balls known to man.

'You want to come?' he asked her, his voice dropping low. Mercedes knew she was going to come at any moment, she would scream and there would be no way of stopping it.

'Please, don't do this…Quinn-'she broke off again as he latched his mouth on her clit and sucked.

'Ah shit!' she sobbed, now uncaring of what the world held outside of this room and this man.

'Go on a date with me,' he said removing his mouth from her but replacing it with his thumb.

'What? No!'

'You sure?' he teased. 'One date, that's all. And I swear I won't let them hear you,' he promised. She shook her head wildly but he sped his fingers up and knew as he felt her get wetter that she would be coming at any moment.

'One date,' he cajoled standing up, fingers still buried deep inside her. His mouth tugged on a nipple, biting down gently the action causing Mercedes to throw her head back in abandonment.

'No?' he asked again, pinching her clit lightly.

'Fine! Anything! Just…please!' As soon as she had given her agreement Sam pulled his hand away and took her mouth by surprise, his tongue surging inside taking everything she had to give. Her legs wobbled and his arms came up around her to support her, cradling her in his arms with a gentleness that was not lost on her.

He pulled away reluctantly and looked into her dazed eyes.

'I'll pick you up at seven o clock on Saturday. I'll be in touch later on in the week to get your address.'

Mercedes tried to focus on what the blond devil was saying, utterly humiliated that she'd been out-manoeuvred by him and completely desperate to come. He knew it! The hateful man _knew _she'd been on the point of climaxing. He knew the burning ache between her legs was killing her dammit!He kissed her softly before turning and pulling the door open. He turned back towards her, a flash of masculine pride surging through him as she slid down the wall to sit on the floor, her legs clearly no longer able to support her.

'_I hate you_! She spat angrily, knowing that as soon as he'd gone she would be in the restroom trying to relieve the excruciating want in her pussy.

'Next time, I will make you come, have no doubt. With my fingers, with my mouth and most definitely with my cock. And when you scream you won't care who hears you. That's a twenty-four carat solid gold Sam Evans promise….Just for the record, Mercedes…you are the sweetest, most delicious thing I've ever tasted,' he grinned a shit-eating grin, licking his lips, the subtle gesture making her burn in embarrassment even more.

She couldn't muster a reply to his parting shot and could only watched as he left, praying to God that Quinn would remain blissfully ignorant of what had happened. It appeared God wasn't listening to her prayers today, she acknowledged as her friend's blond head appeared around the door, eyes widening at her dishevelled and stunned appearance.

'_Mercedes! What the hell did he do?' _Quinn's horrified shriek cut through the air. Mercedes thought about it for a couple of seconds before replying.

'Too much. _Not enough_,'

'


	3. Heartbeat

The Wedding Planner Chapter 3

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay but I've been on holiday and I'm back now so I've finally updated TWP. Thank you all for your lovely reviews and alerts-love you all! Also thank you for checking out the crack!fic Chord Overstreet and the Great (throw the) chicken (in the Fiyah) Caper…its got a brilliant response so far which was totally unexpected as it really was written for shits and giggles on gleeforum! Hope you enjoy the latest chapter of TWP…Annixx

Disclaimer:I do not own them!

Song is Heartbeat by Scouting For Girls

* * *

Heartbeat

Am I alone in your heart?  
Have I hope with your heart?  
She's such a teaser, she's such a star.  
Give me a reason or gimme a chance.  
Am I alone in your heart, or am I alone...?  
It tears me apart.  
Am I alone?

Doing all I can do, just to be close to you.  
Every time that we meet, I skip a heartbeat.  
Always up for a laugh, she's a pain in the arse.  
Every time that we meet, I skip a heartbeat.

Give me an evening, or give me a night.  
I'll show you the time, of your life.  
I'll walk you home safe, from the dark.  
I'll give you my jacket, I'll give you my heart.  
But she won't come dancing tonight,  
She's having the time of her life.

Am I alone?  
Doing all I can do, just to be close to you.  
Every time that we meet, I skip a heartbeat.  
Always up for a laugh, she's a pain in the arse.  
Every time that we meet, I skip a heartbeat.

I do love, she does heartbreak.  
I did love, till she broke my heart.

I do love, she does heartbreak.  
I did love, till she broke my heart.

I do love, she does heartbreak.  
I did love, till she broke my heart.

I do love, she does heartbreak.  
I did love, till she broke my heart.

Doing all I can do, just to be close to you.  
Every time that we meet, I skip a heartbeat.  
Always up for a laugh, she's a pain in the arse.  
Every time that we meet, I skip a heartbeat.  
I skip a heartbeat for you.

Doing all I can do, just to be close to you.  
Every time that we meet, I skip a heartbeat.  
Always up for a laugh, she's a pain in the arse.  
Every time that we meet, I skip a heartbeat.

I skip a heartbeat for you

Mercedes watched the smile on her best friend's face fade and die as she held the telephone receiver to her ear. Mercedes was perched behind the counter in the shop listening to her friend's conversation with the potential client who had come into the store during Sam's visit the previous week.

'Of course I understand, Mrs Emmerson. Thank you very much for your time anyway. If there's anything we can assist you with in the future…On behalf of Starlight Brides I wish your daughter a truly magical wedding,' Quinn said with a warmness that did not reach her eyes, before replacing the receiver. Her eyes met Mercedes' and she bit her lip as tears welled in them.

'That was Mrs Emmerson,' she said unnecessarily.

'Let me guess; she's decided not to use our services,' Mercedes sighed, rubbing the nasty ache that had started in her temples with tired fingers. Quinn nodded silently. 'So what was it? Did her daughter not like any of the venues on our books? Were the selections of flower arrangements we have available not to her taste?'

Quinn shook her head again as tears spilled down her cheek.

'They've decided to go with Pronovia,' she wailed on a sob. Mercedes hurried towards her and threw her arms around her, her hand stroking Quinn's hair as she tried to calm her best friend.

'It's ok, Quinn. It'll be ok…it's just one stupid woman-'she was cut off by Quinn's desperate cry.

'It's not ok, Mercy! We _needed_ that commission! We're flat stony broke! If we don't start getting clients within the next couple of weeks, we're done for!'

'I know, babe. I know,' she sighed heavily, her heart thumping as irrational rage built up inside her. Damn that Sam Evans! Not content with killing their business, the man was hell bent on making her life impossible. The dammed date he'd managed to blackmail her into hung over her head like Damocles' sword.

'Can't you talk to him, Mercy?' Quinn asked hiccoughing slightly.

'And say what Quinnie?' Mercedes threw her hands up helplessly. 'Beg him not to take our clients?'

'I don't know…his business is successful…maybe ask him for help…'

'Are you crazy? Like he's going to help us…we're his only competition in this town! And ok, we may not be much at the moment…but still what kind of moron is going to help his rivals?'

'He'll help _you_, Mercedes…I know he will! You only have to look at him to know he's crazy about you!' Quinn insisted.

'He is not! He doesn't even know me for heaven's sake! He's just some sex-crazed idiot' she huffed crossing her arms.

'Be that as it may, he still turns _you_ on!' Quinn shot back exasperated. Mercedes felt her cheeks burn like fire and was never so glad for her dark complexion. Although Quinn had tactfully refrained from mentioning the 'Restroom Incident' as she was calling it, Mercedes knew full well that her friend had put two and two together and come up with the sum total of what they had been doing that night.

'I am not asking him for help, Quinn. That's out of the question!'

'Then we are going to go bust!' Quinn said with an air of finality. Mercedes looked away, trying to rein in her temper. She didn't want their business to fail, that went entirely without saying, but neither could she bear the thought of crawling on her hands and knees to Sam for business advice. She had no doubt that he'd not only refuse but laugh in her face. Oh, but she was going to let him know _exactly_ what she thought of his ways of doing business on this date that he had managed to coerce her into and she was also going to let him know in no uncertain terms that whatever had existed between them was over. Dead. Cremated. Never to be mentioned again.

The phone rang again, startling both girls and Quinn picked it up.

'Good morning, Starlight Brides, Quinn Fabray speaking. How may I help you?' she recited automatically. She listened for a couple of seconds before focusing intently on Mercedes. 'Yes she's right here…here it's for you,' she said handing the receiver over.

'Hello?' Mercedes spoke into the receiver brightly just in case it was a potential client.

'Mercedes?' she would recognise that voice anywhere. Speak of the devil and he shall appear she thought acidly. Well, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of guessing that she had known immediately it was his voice.

'Yes, this is Mercedes,' she injected just the right amount of curiosity and idle pleasantness into her tone.

'I get it…so you're playing it like that are you?' he teased on the other end of the line.

'I'm sorry…' she trailed off questioningly.

'After all that we've been to each other,' he said sighing.

Mercedes saw red. Of all the brass-necked foolish things to say to her this took the absolute biscuit.

'I'll tell you what you've been to me Sam Evans,'she exploded. 'Nothing but a pain in the ass! A thorn in my side! A carbuncle on the backside of my life!'

'See, my love. I knew you'd know my voice anywhere,' he laughed wickedly. Mercedes fumed, impotent with rage. The sneaky, conniving bastard had managed to outwit her again.

'What do you want!' she barked down the line at him, giving up all pretence, losing what little was left of her patience.

'You don't know how it warms my heart, to hear from your dulcet tones that you've missed me,' he said sarcasm colouring the tone of his words.

'Fool! Say what it is you want and get of the damned line!' she all but shrieked at him.

'What it is I want…hmmmm…well Mercy…' his voice lowered dramatically and she was powerless to prevent the shiver that went through her body. Damn him and damn her traitorous body! 'I think you may have some idea of what it is I want…don't you Mercedes…How about you, on my bed-'

'Don't you dare!' she bit out, breathing hard. She was _not_ going to let him do this to her.

'And oh so very willing,' he continued as though she hadn't spoken. 'Not to mention naked…no let me correct that…wearing nothing but those sinfully sexy boots…my fingers wrapped around your nipples, my head between your legs, my tongue-'

'That's enough! You stop that this instant or I'm cutting this call,' she cried shrilly tring to ignore the wretched ache that his words had ignited between her legs. Her nipples throbbed in want at the sound of his voice, practically begging to be touched and tasted by him.

'You sure you want to do that Mercedes?' he asked disbelievingly. 'I don't think you do…not really. You want that too, no matter what you tell yourself and what you try to get me to believe. You want me as much as I want you, make no mistake about that, baby. And sooner or later I'm going to have you under me, on top of me, all around me screaming as I make you come, with my fingers, with my tongue and with my cock.'

The sheer audacity of the man took her breath away for a couple of seconds before she recovered enough to say,

'In your dreams! I don't have to listen to this!'

'You want to deny it? Ok fine,' he acquiesced magnanimously. 'For now….but you owe me a date…and I'm calling to collect.'

Mercedes knew there was no point arguing. She could well imagine the man having the unmitigated gall to turn up at the shop again if she refused. He wanted a date did he? Well she would give him the very date from hell!

'Fine,' she asked unenthusiastically.

'How about Chez Jacques, tonight at seven?' he asked naming a very exclusive French restaurant that she could only dream of dining in. Her eyebrows flew to her hairline as she imagined the cost of such a meal. Mentally shrugging she reasoned that she could break out the emergency credit card she kept for well emergencies because there was no way she was allowing him to pay for her.

'Fine.' She agreed shortly.

'Ok, I'll pick you up-'he began.

'Absolutely not!' she overrode what he had been about to say ruthlessly. 'I'll make my own way there.'

'Mercedes-' he said warningly.

'It's that or no deal,' she said firmly 'And I don't care what you say about me owing you! Do I make myself clear?'

'Have it your way,' he conceded. 'But Mercedes?' he said just as she thought she was home safe and dry.

'Yes?' she was afraid to ask, she really was.

'Don't think for a moment that you're in control of this…of what's between us. You can deny it as much as you want to my face…you can try to convince yourself that its not real…but we both now that in the not so distant future you'll be coming again and again until the only thing that you can remember is my name and the feel of me inside you,' And with those provocative words he hung up.

'Argh!'she screamed uselessly at the phone.

'Hot date?' Quinn asked, arching an eyebrow knowingly.

'I'm going to destroy him,' she swore angrily. Quinn shook her head, dismayed.

'I really think you should reconsider going up against him,' she advised her best friend.

'Don't you worry, Q,'Mercedes said the light of battle glowing fiercely in her eyes. 'By the time I'm through with him, Sam Evans will wish he had never laid eyes on me!'

Quinn exhaled noisily. There was no talking to Mercedes that much was obvious. She only hoped the fallout would not be cataclysmic. The one thing she did know was that if Mercedes thought Sam was going down without an epic fight she was sorely mistaken.

* * *

Mercedes stood on the sidewalk outside the restaurant where she had agreed to meet Sam and chewed her lip. At the back of her mind there was a little voice telling her to cut and run, discretion being the better part of valour and running away meant living to fight another day. Squaring her shoulders, determination set in. She was going to put this _thing_ with Sam, whatever it was to bed…and most definitely _not _in the one he imagined.

Glancing down at herself, she grimaced She knew she looked good, Quinn had squealed when she had seen her dress and pronounced her gorgeous but she still felt somewhat uncomfortable. She had chosen a black crossover silky wrap dress, with a flirty skirt that seemed to cling to her ass in all the right places whilst swirling prettily around her legs, but it was still shorter than she normally would've worn. She had toyed with the idea of turning up to their date wearing a pair of old baggy sweat pants and a ratty seen-better-days T-shirt and embarrassing him but at the last minute her sense of pride prevailed. Besides it was not like she was going to allow him near her so it really didn't matter what she wore.

'Hello, Mercedes,' the smooth voice came from behind her and she whirled to face her antagonist. He was heart-achingly handsome in a dark suit, his dark blond hair falling enticingly across his forehead making her want to push it back with her fingers. She nodded curtly, struggling not to let the panic that was building in the pit of her stomach show in her eyes. Time and time again Quinn had warned her she had bitten off more than she could chew with this particular man, but Mercedes had dismissed her worries. Now she had a nasty, sinking feeling that her friend was not far off the mark in her assessment.

'You look beautiful,' he told her warmly, his eyes raking her body in blatant appraisal. Mercedes glared at him outraged. He merely grinned at her, biting is lip as he leaned closer towards her, invading her personal space and lowering his head to whisper in her ear.

'That dress is stunning on you…but it would look even better on the floor in my bedroom,'

Mercedes sucked in a furious breath. How dared he proposition her out on the street. Clearly the man had not one iota of shame and it was way past time she shut him down and told him to read the writing on the wall.

'Now, you see here-'she began, rage and something else she didn't want to identify coursing through her veins. Something she had a feeling would lead her straight into the worse kind of trouble with this man, should she pay any heed to it.

'I had half expected you to come in a sack cloth and ashes,' he continued conversationally and the speed with which the connotation of their conversation changed made her dizzy. He had moved back, granting her the space her body had been screaming for, and the words innocuous and innocent enough to lull her back into a false sense of security.

'But then again, it wouldn't have mattered what you wore…' his green eyes, flashed wickedly. 'I'd still be hard as hell wanting you…'

'You know what? Forget this!' she spat, turning on her heel, hell bent on getting the hell out of there, when a firm hand grasped her elbow and spun her round to face him.

'Ok, ok…I'll be on my best behaviour, I promise.' He smiled conciliatorily at her trying to put her at ease. She looked at him unconvinced but he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the entrance of the restaurant.

'It's just dinner,' he cajoled flashing he a puppy dog look. 'What on earth could happen?'

'You don't know the meaning of boundaries! You say the most inappropriate things and you seem to _enjoy_ making me uncomfortable so why the hell would I want to have dinner with you!' she railed at him, thoroughly annoyed and aware that just within the past few minutes of this conversation she was more turned on than she had ever been in her life and he hadn't even touched her!

'If I ignore the _boundaries_ you're talking about, it's because _you_ put them there and _I _don't believe that they should exist. What you think is inappropriate is nothing but the unvarnished truth and you don't like it. You don't like the fact that no matter what you tell yourself, I won't subscribe to the same fantasies that you do; that what's between us is something that means nothing, that it doesn't exist and that it's something you can fight and you don't like the fact that I won't let you carry on with that pretence.' Mercedes' eyes widened as he called her out and she opened her mouth to deliver the verbal beat-down he had been begging for since the start of the conversation but his mouth stopped the flow of any words she had thought to utter. He pressed a soft, gentle and altogether too brief kiss to her lips and pulled away, watching her with serious eyes.

'Let's just go inside and sit down. Order a meal and make small talk and pretend this is like any other normal date,' he sighed. Mercedes hesitated, shaken deep inside by how well this man who she had really only just met could read her._ It's just a meal_, a voice inside her head soothed,_ what the hell could go wrong with a meal?_

'Fine,' she grudgingly conceded as he held the door open for her with charming gentlemanlike manners that were not entirely lost on her. He placed a hand at the small of her back and she had to fight hard not to shiver betrayingly at his touch. The maître d' approached his smile widening as he saw Sam, obviously a well-known customer.

'Bonne nuite, Monsieur Evans! Mademoiselle Stacy is not with you tonight?' he asked warmly. Mercedes grimaced inwardly. Oh yes, he was well known here indeed! Probably the place he brought all his conquests, no doubt. Well, she was not going to be another notch on his bedpost, she was determined of that. One meal and her _debt_, if one could even all it that would be paid and she could go back to minding her own business and hopefully he'd get bored and move on to pastures new and more productive._ Stacy,_ she seethed inwardly trying to ignore the spike of jealousy that pierced her heart,_ what kind of name is that anyway?_

'No not tonight, Armand. But never fear I've brought you a truly gorgeous delight!' he replied smiling at Mercedes.

'Mais oui! Elle est tres jolie… elle es vraiment formidable…que bellel!' The Frenchmen exclaimed capturing Mercedes' hand and kissing it with great flourish. She couldn't help but smile delightedly at him, blushing before Sam took her hand out of Armand's patting it gently.

'Yes, yes you old smoothie…' he laughed turning to Mercedes. 'He's a favourite of my sister's so unless you want her wrath upon you, I'd keep your hands strictly off him,' he joked. Mercedes rolled her eyes and looked away. Why the hell did she care about his sister anyway, what did she have to do with the price of eggs? He ushered her to follow the maître d' to a secluded table and Sam pulled her chair out for her before she could do so herself. Armand left them with the wine list and menu and bustled off with a promise of returning within a few minutes to take their order. He was as good as his word and appeared within scant minutes. Mercedes opted to stay on the safe path and ordered a soft drink whilst Sam smirked slightly at her choice and ordered a half bottle of red wine.

'Afraid to drink around me?' he asked.

'Not at all,' Mercedes hastened to correct him primly. 'I'm just not much of a drinker,' the last thing she wanted to convey to Sam was that she saw him as any sort of danger to her equilibrium.

'But you drank last Friday night,' he pointed out softly.

'Yes, well I had a really bad day,' she said by way of an excuse.

'And then you met me…' he trailed off smiling roguishly.

'Yes, and my day went from bad to worse,' she added waspishly.

'Ouch!' he winced exaggeratedly. 'And here I thought I had _cheered_ you up…guess it'll take more practice,'

Mercedes' cheeks were flaming as she involuntarily was thrown back to the scene that had taken place in the bar's restroom the weekend before.

'Stop it! I told you I don't want to talk about it! And there will be no repeat performance so you will not have a chance to perfect your technique on me!' she hissed. Her heart started to thud heavily in excitement at the look in his eyes. Ruthlessly she tried to dismiss the quickening of her body as he leaned forward towards her. She couldn't afford to let her guard down around him, that way lay definite danger with a capital D and she would most likely find herself in another restroom with her panties around her ankles and him buried balls-deep inside her. _Would that really be so bad…_her traitorous mind asked slyly, _come on Mercy, you know you want to…_

'And I told you that I won't let you ignore it, and mark my words sweetheart you can deny it all you want but that night in the bar was only the beginning for us.' He smiled at the sound of her indrawn breath of rage. 'But for now, in the interest of maintaining our fragile ceasefire, I'll agree to defer all discussion of our activities that night to a later date,'

'There will _never _be a later date, understand?' she exploded rudely before realising how close she was to making a scene. _Not yet_, she told herself,_ bide your time Mercy. Don't jump the gun…_She took a calming breath and counted to ten.

'We will discuss it Mercedes, you have my word on that.' He said seriously staring intensely at her angry face.

'We will have to agree to disagree on that particular point,' she conceded evenly.

Armand returned with their drinks a few seconds later, calling a temporary end to their conversation, while they ordered their starters. Once he left Sam, always having been one to tread where angels would fear to, said

'So tell me about your business…You and Quinn own Starlight Brides, right?'

'Yes,' Mercedes' reply was curt to the point of rudeness.

'I saw your 'enchanted wedding' window,' he said quietly. 'It is beautiful; It truly embodies the kind of fairy-tale romance most brides want on their wedding day.'

'Whatever,' she replied disinterested. Sam frowned at her lack of enthusiasm.

'I would have thought you would have been proud of your display…it captures the essence of what brides dream of. An enchanting special day,'

Mercedes leant forward, her index finger waving at him as if to emphasize the point she was about to make.

'I am not some hopeless romantic believing in fairy-tale weddings and happily ever afters! No marriage is forever and the only endgame I see in all the weddings I have helped planned is divorce.'

Sam gaped at her appalled. 'You are a bridal consultant-'

'_Quinn_ is the real romantic…she's the one who helps plan and caters for every one of their unrealistic and frankly plain ridiculous whims. Me? I'm the realist, the one who crunches the facts and figures and makes them damned well work, keeping the proverbial roof over our heads,' she dismissed.

'You can't be serious!' he said absolutely knocked for six at her disdain for all things marriage related.

'Never more so. You want to know what I think is the biggest problem in today's society?' she asked him rhetorically. 'Marriage,'

'Come again? How do you figure that one out?' he asked dumbfounded.

'You get married to a guy who professes to love you, you give up your independence and your single life in order to cement your bond, you love and support him until your heart literally can't take anymore meanwhile he's running around behind your back with every single willing woman within a fifty mile radius. You finally find yourself alone with two kids after he's finally run off with the one hundredth floozy he's cheated on you with and you struggle daily to support yourself and them…and you get not a cent of child support because he now has a new family to take care of and he can't be bothered to give your kids not even a birthday or Christmas card! And then your teenage daughter finds you after you've downed an entire bottle of sleeping pills and pleads to everything she has ever held holy that you'll be ok..' she ranted, unaware of the hurt that had stolen over her features, hurt that had Sam's heart aching for her and wanting to hold her in his arms and soothe it all away.

'Not every guy is like that…'Sam managed to say at the end of her diatribe.

'Yeah? Well tell that to my mother! If she had a dime for every time she's heard that crap she'd be as rich as Croesus! If I'd been five minutes later she would've died!' she said angrily. Dammit, she barely knew the man and here she was telling him some of her deepest darkest secrets…not even Quinn knew what had gone down between her mother and father and why she disliked the idea of marriage so much.

'I get that your father was a douchebag, but you can't tar everyone with the same brush!' he exclaimed trying to reason with her.

'I don't care! I'm a voice of reason in a world that has gone marriage-crazy!'

'_You_ are crazy!' he said stunned. 'You are certifiably insane! You can't let one bad marriage control your outlook on life! It was your parents' marriage, something that was between them. Now I totally think your father should've been castrated for what he did but you can't stop that from letting you fall in love and sharing yourself, your _whole_ self, with someone else. Are you telling me your mother wants you to feel this way about marriage?'

'No,' she admitted grudgingly. 'My mom wants me to find a guy, get married and have lots of babies preferably in that order…but that is never going to happen. _Never,_' she said vehemently.

'Can you hear yourself? You are shutting yourself off from a world of possibilities just because your father was an idiot who didn't know what he had!'

'Oh so because I don't want to get married or have babies there must be something wrong with me,' she mocked, a look of pure disgust on her pretty face.

'No! If you truly, for yourself, didn't want to get married that's one thing…but to shut the whole idea down because of your parents' marriage is crazy! What do you do with guys that want to date you?'

'I don't date. But believe me if I did, I'd tell them the same as I've told you!'

'So I should consider myself put on blast, huh?'

'Consider yourself whatever you like…you're nothing to me,' she lied, hating the way her heart clenched as the words left her lips. She needed to kill this thing stone dead. Her senses were screaming trouble at her and somehow she knew, _knew_ that if there was any man who could change her stance on marriage it was this one. She wouldn't let him, _couldn't _let him…he was just like all the others and she'd be the one who ended up heartbroken like her mother.

'If this is the way you approach your business, no wonder it's in trouble,' he couldn't help saying then mentally winced as he saw the look of complete fury stealing over Mercedes' face.

'It's in trouble because of you, you asshole!' she spat enraged.

'If you mean because I run a successful bridal department store, then maybe you should take the opportunity to ask for some help,' he shot back.

Mercedes grabbed her bag and pulled out the sheaf of papers she had stuffed in there earlier that day, throwing them in front of him.

'Look at that damned article!'

Sam glanced at it and shrugged. 'I didn't write that rubbish…you can't hold me responsible for that,'

'No, you didn't write it but you capitalised on our misfortune! Read your own quotes!' she shoved the paper forcefully at him. He shook his head refusing to acknowledge it.

'No? Well let me remind you…ah here it is…"_It is my professional opinion that a bridal business which struggles in this fashion is beset by many problems the most prevalent of which is the lack of forward-thinking, drive and vision required to be successful in this arena of business," _Oh and how could I forget this gem? "_It is obvious to me that they have not fully embraced the essence of what the bridal industry embodies, they are in short little girls playing dress up in an adult world…finding excuses such as their premises being haunted to hide the lack of business knowledge and service delivery that has brought their business to its knees,'_

'And I stand by those comments based on what you've told me tonight!' he defended.

'You bastard!' she threw at him, livid. 'You weren't happy with just shading our business were you? Oh no…let's take a look at your advertising campaign shall we? You put this crap on the page opposite the article' she pulled out a full page advert from the sheaf of papers she had thrown at him. He looked at the advert featuring a beautiful woman dressed in a fabulous wedding gown from the spring collection at Pronovia. His eyes widened at the slogan, seeing it for the first time and realising just why she was so angry.

'_Others promise you starlight romance but here at Pronovia we deliver a fairy-tale without the drama…_'

'I'll admit, that is a choice of bad wording…but I have never seen this advert before,' he said locking eyes with her, green clashing with brown in a battle to force her to acknowledge that he was telling the truth.

'You expect me to believe that! What do you take me for?'

'I did not agree that campaign!' he insisted forcefully.

'So what happened? Did it just magically appear?' she sneered sarcastically. 'You know what? I don't care!'

'I don't do business like this! I don't need to destroy competition to succeed. That is not how I roll,' he told her firmly.

'Let me tell you something about the way you do business Sam Evans! You are underhanded, sneaky and downright conniving! You would be the last man alive on this planet that I would ask for help!' Mercedes condemned.

'Sammy! Sammy!' the cry interrupted the argument in full flow. Sam looked up and a tender smile lit his features. Mercedes turned to see a beautiful blonde girl hurrying towards their table, her face wreathed in smiles, an older couple following in her wake. Sam had stood up and the girl now threw herself into his arms enthusiastically, whilst Mercedes' looked on appalled, as a savage streak of jealousy seared her heart. She had to get out of there before she made a fool out of herself and howled the place down.

Stacy,' Sam said warmly in what Mercedes could only think was an intimate tone. So this hapless creature was Stacy? Well, she was welcome to him!

'Sammy! I thought you said you were busy tonight?' Mercedes heard the other girl's questioning words and grimaced. Too bad Stacy had to find out what a feckless loser her man was. She stood up too pushing her chair back planning on making her escape, when Sam's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. Pulling back she tried to free herself as Stacy looked on amazed as the older couple finally reached their table.

'Son, what the hell are you doing,' a vaguely familiar man said, eyebrows raised at the scene before him.

'Let me go!' she spat furiously.

'Let me introduce you,' Sam said sardonically as Armand arrived wringing his hands at the scene. Mercedes, grabbed his wine glass before she even thought about it. Just as he said 'Everyone this is Mercedes,' she upended the glass on his head, the shock of the liquid making him release her wrist and she turned on her heel and fled as if the hounds of hell were chasing her.

Standing in there, with the eyes of the all the other patrons of the restaurant and most importantly those of his parents and sister Sam smiled grimly._ Oh it's on Mercedes…it's so on…and I won't stop until I have you right where you belong…_

'What in the name of all that's holy is going on?' his mother asked, eyes wide as saucers.

'Mom, Dad, Armand…Stacy…that was Mercedes Jones. My future wife,'


	4. Chained To You

**Wow thank you guys so much for all your reviews and alerts...I'm amazed at how many people like this fic! I think someone asked me who Armand was...he is the charming French maitre d from the restaurant in the last chapter and on whom Stacy has a little crush, hence Sam playfully warning Mercedes away...Thank you to all of you who have also reviewed the crack!fic Chord and the Great Chicken Caper-I am stunned at how many people like it and have alerted it!**

**Disclaimer: Not Mine. Nuff said.**

**Song is Chained to You by Savage Garden**

**Chained To You**

We were standing all alone you were leaning in to speak to me  
Acting like a mover shaker dancing to Madonna then you kissed me  
And I think about it all the time  
Sweet temptation rush all over me  
And I think about it all the time  
Passion desire so intense I can't take anymore because

I feel the magic all around you  
It's bringing me to my knees  
Like a wannabe  
I've got to be chained to you

And when you looked into my eyes felt a sudden sense of urgency  
Fascination casts a spell and you became more than just a mystery  
And I think about you all the time  
Is this fate is it my destiny  
That I think about you all the time  
I no longer pretend to have my hand on the wheel because

I feel the magic all around you  
It's bringing me to my knees  
Like a wannabe  
I've got to be chained to you  
I feel the magic building around you

I feel the magic all around you  
It's bringing me to my knees  
Like a wannabe  
I've got to be chained to you

And I think about you all the time  
And I think about you all the time  
Yeah I think about it all the time  
Tell me it's madness I barely know you  
We were standing all alone you were leaning in to speak to me  
Ten steps back you're still a mystery  
Acting live a mover shaker dancing to Madonna then you kissed me  
I can't take anymore because

I feel the magic all around you  
It's bringing me to my knees  
Like a wannabe  
I've got to be chained to you  
I feel the magic building around you

I feel the magic all around you  
It's bringing me to my knees  
Like a wannabe  
I've got to be chained to you

Tell me it's madness  
I barely know you

Sam Evans strode up the sidewalk towards Starlight Brides, purpose evident in each step he took. Mercedes had fled from the restaurant on Saturday night, leaving him standing there with his family and the maitre d' looking on in horrified interest. What was he doing? He had asked himself that question a hundred times...it was obvious that despite amazing sexual want for each other they both suffered from, she was disposed to fight him at every turn. Maybe he should have left her alone...but Sam had never been one to back down from a fight. He was an Evans through and through and in his family that meant you don't quit til you're dead. He smiled slightly as he thought of his family. Family legend proclaimed that when an Evans met _the one_ they were meant to be with for the rest of their lives they would recognise them instantly. It had happened with his grandparents back in Tennessee and his parents too. His father had seen his mother in their first year of college and had known immediately she was it for him. He had married her straight after college and they had Sam two years later. Three kids and thirty years later, they were still as in love as they had been on the day they got married. Sam had dated plenty of other girls even lived with one for a time but with not a one of them had he ever had the epiphany he was waiting for. Until Mercedes. Laying eyes on her in the bar he knew. Just like that, without even talking to her. Once he had there was no way he could back away from her. She was fighting it but he'd known as soon as he had touched her that she too recognised the invisible link between them. The way she reacted to him, the way she fit perfectly against him in his arms told him all he needed to know. Standing in the restaurant, red wine dripping down his face Sam had endured the reactions of his family. Stacy, had laughed like a drain, completely delighted by the fact that for once a girl had resisted her brother and put him in his place.

'This is too good!' she had chortled 'I like her already, Sammy! She'll make a fantastic sister-in-law!' He rolled his eyes good-naturedly at her ribbing whilst his mother attempted to wipe the wine off his skin with a napkin.

'Are you serious Sam?' he father questioned, eyebrows raised.

'Yes, dad. She's the one,' he nodded, smiling ruefully.

'Well, my boy you've got your work cut out with that one!' Dwight Evans laughed whilst his daughter high-fived him.

'Stop it!' Mary Evans admonished her husband. 'She seems lovely, honey. Apart from the whole dumping wine on your head,' she said soothingly. 'Best get your grandma's ring ready,'

Sam shook his head. 'Mom, she doesn't even _like_ me...if I presented her with a ring all I'd see of her would be the dust clouds she'd leave behind as she took off running, before she had me arrested for stalking. She doesn't even believe in marriage so like Dad said I'm going to have to pull out all the stops to win her.'

'Pshhh! She'll come around! Who could resist you?' his mother said pinching his cheeks like she used to when he was a little boy.

'Mom! Stop that!' he batted her hands away, laughing.

'Stop Mary! You're embarrassing the boy!' his father guffawed, clapping him on the back. 'Well, seeing as your girl deserted you, why don't you get cleaned up and come and have a meal with your old man, been too long since we've hung out,' his father said.

'Yes, do Sam. You can tell me all about how my business is doing,' his mom said wistfully. With that Sam Evans sat down and spent the rest of his evening with his family, laughing and joking but painfully aware though that the he really would have much rather spent it with Mercedes.

Now it was Monday, and he was once again going to confront her at her shop. It was turning into quite the pattern. He reached the entrance and pushed the door open. Mercedes _was_ going to see him today whether she liked it or not and he was not leaving until she did, even if that meant camping out in the store the whole day.

* * *

Mercedes groaned as she woke up recalling the horrendously embarrassing date from the Saturday night. She had thrown red wine over Sam God in heaven...how _could_ she have done such a thing. All she could remember was that awful feeling of white-hot jealously scudding nastily down her spine and through her veins as she saw Stacy and Sam's loving reaction towards her. No, no...She shook her head wildly. He was not her Sam; he was not her anything! She buried her face in her pillow in horrified despair. She had behaved in an appalling manner, in the middle of an exclusive restaurant no less and humiliated not only herself but him as well. Mercedes abhorred scenes of any kind in public and last night she had been the one to make a spectacle of herself. There was nothing for it, she would have to apologise, she couldn't not. She would send an apology fruit basket with a note, which would negate the need to see him again and then make sure that she never ran into him in future. Not that she imagined he'd want to see her after the debacle that had been their date. The phone on her bedside cabinet rang shrilly cutting into her train of thoughts.

'Hello?' she said gingerly lifting the receiver to her ear, expecting to hear Sam's angry tones, not sure why as she knew he didn't have her home number, at the other end of the line.

'Mercy?' she sagged in relief as she heard Quinn's voice. 'Thank God! Are you ok? I've been ringing your cell...' She heard Kurt's voice in the background,

'See I told you she was fine, probably unable to walk from all those orgasms Sam's given her,'

Mercedes' face flamed and she hissed 'He did _not_ give me any orgasms!'

'More's the pity!' Kurt exclaimed pertly.

'Mercy? It's ten o'clock,' Quinn told her. 'Are you ok?'

'Shit! Oh my god I'm so sorry, Quinn.' She leapt out of bed hurriedly.

'Its fine, honey. I was just worried about you, because of the date...'Quinn said reassuringly.

'It was awful, Quinn...I did something terrible,' she confessed over the lump in her throat.

'What...w-what did you do Mercy?' Quinn asked fearfully.

'I poured a glass of red wine over Sam's head.' She admitted ashamed.

'You did what?' Quinn's horrified tone let Mercedes know that the situation was a bad as she herself had thought it was if not worse.

'He just made me so angry...we argued about the article and his advertising campaign,' not for the world would Mercedes tell anybody that part of the reason she had been so angry was that her body had been on fire for him and it was taking all of her self control to keep it in check.

'Oh Mercy,' Quinn's voice was a wealth of affectionate exasperation. 'I know you were angry but...'

'Then this Stacy woman turned up. _All_ over him.' Mercedes closed her eyes against the wave of jealousy and hurt that swept over her.

'Mercedes...I thought you couldn't stand the guy? What does it matter what he does with someone else?' Quinn asked reasonably.

'We were on a date Quinn!' Mercedes shot back.

'You like him Mercy, 'Quinn told her firmly. 'You like him and you were jealous, admit it.'

'No!' she denied vehemently, knowing as she uttered the words she was lying to her best friend.

'You do. I'll leave it there for now because this obviously upsets you. But honey, I really think you should apologise,'

'I know...I just can't do it in person. I can't see him again, Quinn,' she whispered.

'Look, we'll figure it out. I don't think he'll hold it against you-'Quinn suddenly stopped midsentence. 'Mercedes? I've got to go...Um...a customer has just walked in...'

'Ok, I'll just have a shower and I'm there,' Mercedes told her, hanging up. Sighing she headed into the bathroom and turned the shower on.

Quinn kicked Kurt discreetly under the counter, as she watched Sam Evans cross the threshold.

'Hey, watch the trousers!' Kurt exclaimed indignantly, lifting his gaze from his dress designs. 'Don't you know these are...' he trailed off his eyes going wide at the sight of Sam standing before the counter.

'Hello, Sam, 'Quinn greeted him politely 'What brings you here...again?

'Same thing as last time. I'm looking for Mercedes,' he replied smiling a smile that did not reassure Quinn in the slightest.

'She's not here,' she said shaking her head. He lifted his eyebrow sardonically.

'No, really she's not here,' she said more firmly again, her face flaming as she recalled he was fully aware of the bald-faced lies she had told him the last time.

'She isn't here, Sam' Kurt confirmed nodding his head. 'Quinn's just spoken to her on the phone.'

'Where is she?' Sam asked pleasantly.

'She's on her way in,' Quinn disclosed, biting her lip as she realised she probably should not have told him that.

'I'll wait, then.' He leant on the counter settling himself comfortably for the wait.

'Ah well look why don't I tell her you called in and get her to call you when she arrives?' Quinn suggested hurriedly, not wanting to imagine the look on Mercedes' face when she came in and saw him lying in wait for her.

'No, its ok. I'll be fine waiting right here,' he grinned.

'She could be a long time, you know...I really think you would be better-'

'Sweet baby Jesus, Quinn!' Kurt rolled his eyes at her. 'The man said he'd wait, let him wait!' Sam smiled at his new-found ally and shrugged his shoulders at Quinn.

She huffed slightly and turned away; going back to the box of tiaras she had been unpacking before she had rung Mercedes.

'What are those?' Sam asked Kurt interestedly, looking at the drawings Kurt had spread in front of him.

'These? These are wedding dress designs,' Kurt said moving over to let Sam get a better look.

'They're good,' Sam said whistling appreciatively. 'You design wedding dresses?'

'Not really. I design women's maternity underwear,' Kurt said disgustedly.' Not what I wanted to do with my degree in fashion but it pays the bills. I design wedding dresses for Starlight brides as a favour for my besties here,'

'So these wedding dresses,' Sam gestured at the racks of dresses along the far wall of the store 'are your designs?'

'Yes, every dress is exclusively designed for Starlight brides,' Kurt nodded smiling proudly.

'That's quite a marketable quality,' Sam said thinking aloud. 'I should think a lot of brides would like the thought of their dress being designed exclusively for a store rather than a dress by a designer that you could buy anywhere...even if it is Vera Wang...'

'Yes, well I don't see any brides beating down our door, do you?' Quinn asked softening the bluntness of her words with a smile.

Sam looked at Kurt weighing up an idea in his mind.

'Here,' he said tossing his business card on the table. 'I know you design for these guys but if you ever think about branching out I'd definitely be interested in having a collection exclusively designed for Pronovia.'

'Thanks, Sam but I don't think I could do that to these guys-'Kurt shook his head.

'Pffft! Kurt, take the card!' Quinn said nudging his shoulder. 'It's a brilliant opportunity! I wish we could get a break like that!'

'Maybe I could help you,' he said to Quinn and he saw the light of excitement glow then die in her eyes.

'How? We need customers...you can't just conjure them up out of thin air!'

'I have an idea...' he smiled winningly.

'Mercedes would never agree,' she said regretfully.

'She doesn't have to know,' he cajoled, sensing her weakness.

'Why would you do that?' Quinn asked suspiciously. 'What's your ulterior motive?'

'To be honest its Mercedes. She is never going to let me near if she thinks I'm ruining your business,'

'She'll never let you near full stop,' Quinn said archly.

'Yes, but if I overcome this obstacle then I can think about tackling the rest.' He explained.

'It'd be lying to her and I'm a terrible liar,' Quinn fretted.

'So I noticed. Look, it's not lying per se. You're just not going to mention that I'm helping you out.'

'I don't know...' Quinn said unconvinced.

'Quinn! Take the help he's offering! If it consoles you think about the good it will do Mercedes to finally have the business doing better!' Kurt said exasperated.

'Fine,' she agreed taking the card Sam held out to her.' Thank you,'

'No need to thank me. I hope in the end I'll be getting something invaluable back in the end. Now, are you guys going to the Bride Style Wedding Extravaganza in Cincinnati next week?'

'No...we couldn't afford the pitch, 'Quinn shook her head.

'Well you are now,'

'How? Those pitches went months ago?'

'Leave it to me, the editor of Bride Style is a good friend of my mother's and plus as the head of Pronovia I'm kind of a celebrity in the bridal world,' he winked at her.

'What do I tell Mercy?'

'Tell her you guys won a pitch at the show...there is one condition though,'

'What is it?'

'Mercedes has to come to the show. You guys will be staying in the same hotel as I am...and I need to have access to her.'

'I'm not sure,' guilt coloured Quinn's voice.

'Just go with what I've got planned. If she really refuses to talk to me or spend time with me then I'll let it go...I won't force her to,' he assured her.

'Oh a free trip to Cincinnati!' Kurt clapped excitedly. 'You guys will have an awesome time,'

'What's so special about Cincinnati?' Quinn frowned.

'Anyway is better than Lima,' Kurt quipped.

'Why don't you come along too...if you're thinking about designing wedding dresses seriously then you may get a few ideas and names to trade with,' Sam suggested. Quinn nodded at Kurt.

'I will so be there!' Kurt exclaimed happily.

'Do we have a deal?' Sam arched an eyebrow at Quinn.

'Deal,' she sighed, hoping she would not live to regret it.

'Do you want to see something truly amazing?' Kurt asked him, leaning towards him conspiratorially.

'Sure,' Sam assented readily.

'Come with me, handsome...' Kurt winked at him and hopped off his stool, leading Sam into the store room at the back.

'Where are you going?' Quinn raced after them.

'To show Sam Mercy's dress,' Kurt replied nonchalantly.

'No!' Quinn exclaimed 'She won't like it!'

'Fooey! What can it hurt, for God's sake? It's not like she's going to wear it!' Kurt dismissed, waving his hand at her. He came to stand in front of a built in cupboard at the back of the store room and opened the door pulling out a dress bag. Unzipping it he removed it and pushed the dress into Quinn's arms, gesturing to hold it up against her.

Sam's jaw dropped. The dress was exquisite, there was no other word for it. Made from luxurious heavy ivory silk, the strapless bodice dipped slightly in the middle and would show a tiny bit of cleavage for sure but nothing so overt as to be distasteful. It was covered all over with sparkilng beads, crystals and diamantes and the full tulle net skirt was in turn decorated with tiny crystal stars. Quinn turned it so the back was visible and he saw the laces at the back that would serve to anchor the bodice in place.

'This is Mercy's dress,' he said waving his hand towards it with flourish.

'Wait...what? What do you mean Mercy's dress? Is she _married_?' Sam's appalled question made Kurt start laughing uncontrollably.

'That's a good one, Sam!' he managed when he had calmed down. 'No she is not married, and nor will she ever be unless she changes that odd kick in her gallop that has made her so set against it!'

'Then why has she got a wedding dress?' Sam asked uncomprehendingly.

'Well when they opened the store, I designed a dress for each of them as a congratulations present, if you like.' Kurt explained.

'Oh,' Sam looked at the dress as Quinn held it up, a faraway look in his eyes. He could just imagine Mercedes wearing it...she'd look like something straight out of a fairytale.

'But,' Kurt sighed sadly 'she's never going to wear it. I've accepted that now...'

'Yeah, she took great care to enlighten me to exactly what her opinions on marriage were before she threw a glass of red wine over me,' Sam chuckled ruefully.

'My sweet Gaga, no!' Kurt's hands flew to his mouth, in horror.

'Yep, and in Chez Georges too..in front of my parents and Stacy, my sister,'

'Mercedes Jones!' Kurt exclaimed, second hand embarrassment for his friend warming his pale cheeks. 'You must want to kill her! I know I do!'

Sam shook his head unconcerned. 'Nah...I just want her to give me a chance...'

Kurt took the dress back from Quinn storing it safely in the bag. 'Come on, precious,' he said sadly you'll probably never see the light of day again...'

'Don't be so sure,' Sam said with a teasing grin. Kurt turned towards him, eyes wide.

'You mean you're seriously going to try? After the whole wine incident?'

'Do you have a death wish?' Quinn interjected, incredulously.

'Hey,' Sam shrugged 'what's a bit of wine between lovers' he deadpanned, hands in pockets 'And I'm not going to try Kurt. I'm going to win,' he promised determination written in his eyes.

Kurt clapped delightedly whilst Quinn shook her head exasperatedly.

'Let's get one thing straight, here and now Sam Evans,' she said eyes flashing 'I will not let this store turn into a battleground between you and Mercy. We are having a bad enough time as it is. And I will give you this warning only once. You hurt her in any way, shape or form and I will have Santana come over, rip your balls off and wear them for earrings...do I make myself clear?' Kurt's jaw hit the floor at this uncharacteristic display of fierceness from Quinn.

Sam nodded shocked as she spun on her heel and exited the store room.

'Well, at least she's got the 'you hurt my friend ' talk out of the way for all of us...even if mine would have been a tad more refined,' Kurt added reflectively. Quinn stuck her head back around the door grinning.

'You don't know how long I've been waiting to give some hapless man that speech!' she said before disappearing once again.

'You've got her vote then!' Kurt said making his way into the main store. He turned around suddenly.

'If she read you the riot act on marriage, then you are breaking through the walls, Sam. She obviously can smell the danger you represent, so warning you off is her knee-jerk reaction.'

'She told me about her father...and about finding her mother, 'Sam admitted seeing the look of surprise that lit Kurt's eyes.

'_She told you?' _ Kurt whispered. 'Not even Quinn knows about that...I only do because I was with her at the time...She _never_ has told another living soul as far as I know. You're getting to her Sam,'

Sam followed Kurt into the store, allowing himself a small smile. _Oh Miss Jones, you're going down..._

* * *

Mercedes walked into the store and stopped dead at the sight of Kurt and Sam chatting at the counter like long lost friends. For a moment she considered turning around and fleeing from the store but he locked eyes with her, his stare holding her in place.

'Good morning, Mercedes,' he said calmly, smiling slightly.

'Sam,' she acknowledged. 'What you doing here?'

'Waiting for you, my love,' he smirked at her eyes flicking lustfully over her. 'That colour suits really suits you,'

Glancing down at herself, she took in her purple off the shoulder glittery sweat top and grimaced. It was hardly the most sexy thing she owned, yet he was still trying to make out she was irresistible!

'Nice jeans,' he complimented biting his lip as his eyes traced the outline of her thighs and ass in the tight fitting jeans she was wearing.

'Thank-you,' she bit out shortly. 'Look, I know you're angry about Saturday night...and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you goad me like that. 'He was looking intently at her and she felt herself becoming more and more flustered. Not really knowing what she was saying she continued 'And really you've only got yourself to blame if you go around dating one girl then taking someone else out on a date...I mean...oh hell...no matter the provocation I shouldn't have done it-'

'Dating a girl? Who on earth am I meant to be dating?' he asked her astounded.

'Stacy-'Mercedes was cut off by Sam's bark of laughter.

'Stacy? You thought Stacy was my girlfriend?' he asked chuckling.

Mercedes suddenly had a nasty suspicion she had made a horrible, horrible mistake.

'Well, yes...I mean no...' she tried to recover.

'You were jealous,' he said sounding pleased at the thought.

'No I wasn't!' she tried to deny as he walked towards her.

'Yes, you were.' He maintained, reaching her. She looked at Kurt for assistance but he looked away from her and sailed through the door of the office shutting it firmly. Next she tried to catch Quinn's glance but the blonde picked up the box of tiaras and disappeared into the storeroom. Just what had this devil done to brainwash her friends?

'I was n-'he placed his finger on her lips and she trembled at the touch.

'Stacy's my sister,' he told her quietly. 'And the couple that were with her were my parents,' Mercedes closed her eyes in horror, as unbidden an image of Sam covered in wine and his family looking on stunned burst into her mind.

'Oh my God! 'she whimpered 'Sam, I'm so, so sorry...' His arms closed around her whilst she was distracted and his head bent towards her. His lips had barely grazed hers before she pulled away in a panic.

'No! Don't!' she backed away, eyeing him distrustfully. He followed her until she was backed up against the glass door.

'No?' he questioned lightly 'You're lips say no but your body says another thing entirely.' His hand lifted to the neck of her sweatshirt sitting just above her breasts and his finger traced a path down her body, over the curve on one breast, flicking lightly against the nipple before travelling downwards and hooking through a belt loop at her waist, pulling her relentlessly until she was pressed up against his body. She gasped as her body reacted to his nearness, and couldn't prevent a quiet moan escaping her lips anymore than she could prevent the blind instinct that had her pressing back against him, feeling the ridged hardness nestled firmly between her legs even through the layers of clothing between them.

'You were saying?' he whispered against her lips.

'I'm sorry,' she breathed, fingers curling into the hair at the nape of his neck.

'You're forgiven,' he bit his lip before capturing hers gently. The ringtone of his phone cut through the sensual daze she was lost in and he grimaced as he looked down at the phone.

'Shit! It's my brother_,_ I better take this...' he excused himself pulling away slowly, eyes closing in frustration as he lost the physical connection between them. Mercedes breathed a sigh of relief even as her body _ached_ wantonly for him and edged away, walking quickly towards the counter and scooting behind it as though it would protect her.

'Stevie, what's up,' she heard him say impatiently, 'What? You can't sort this out yourself?' he bit out grimly. 'Right, this is the worst timing possible!' he ran his fingers through his hair in impotent frustration. 'Fine, I'll catch the earliest flight possible,' her heart lurched painfully in her chest at his words and she stamped the awful ache down ruthlessly. _He was leaving_ .

Turning back towards her he advanced to the counter.

'I've got to catch a flight to Chicago,' he told her, eyes searching hers for a reaction no matter how small. She broke the stare and looked down at the floor.

'Ok, well don't let me keep you,' she muttered wishing she could feel relief that he was going, rather than the sick emptiness that was rising from the pit of her stomach.

'There's a situation with the other business I own,' he explained.

'I thought that you were the head of Pronovia,' she said scrunching her nose up adorably in confusion.

'I am...now. Before Pronovia was my mother's business. When she got sick with cancer I stepped in and left my brother Stevie to look after Evanstay with my father although sometimes I question why...He's a bit too young and rash,' he told her.

'Oh I'm so sorry to hear about your mom!' she said dismayed. She felt awful for him, imagining how she would feel if it had been her mother. He smiled at the way she couldn't hide her tender heart for long even around him.

'She's ok...she went into remission and has been clear for the past two years.'

'Wait...you own Evanstay? The hotel chain?'

'Yep, that's me,' he grinned. Mercedes' heart sank. No wonder they had gotten annihilated when they had tried to compete against Pronovia. Their head had an already successful countrywide business...while all she and Quinn were armed with were their college degrees and paltry savings.

'You should go,' she said carelessly 'Time is money and all that,'

Sam frowned and reached out to cup her face making her look at him.

'That's not how I roll. Money is just that-money,'

'That's easy to say when you don't have to struggle!' she shot back.

'My family, my friends...the person that I love will always come before money or success,' he insisted. Leaning over the counter he pressed a quick kiss to her unsuspecting mouth.

'I will be seeing you soon, don't make any mistake about that,' he told her, conviction blazing out of his eyes.

'No, you will not, Evans.' She replied equally determined.

'Don't count on that, Jones,' and with that as his parting shot he headed out of the door.

* * *

'Remind me what I'm doing here, again?' Blaine Anderson looked up uncomfortably at the massive building before him.

'Because we're going on an incognito spy mission, gel-for-brains!' Santana drawled rolling her eyes. 'Could you not have found anyone else, Mercedes? I mean anyone else who like had at least half a brain cell and doesn't wear trousers pulled up to their armpits?'

'Shhh Satan!' Mercedes hushed her. ' We're here to see for ourselves why everyone is raving about the Pronovia bridal experience...Sam is in Chicago, so we won't run into him. He left last night so this is the perfect opportunity to do a bit of recon,'

'Why am I pretending to be your fiancé? Why not Kurt?' he asked doubtfully.

'Because, Blaine...one look at me and they'll instantly know it's a scam...I'm just too fabulous,' Kurt explained patiently.

'You mean too effe-'Santana was cut off but Mercedes' hand over her mouth.

'Enough! Let's go in, have a snoop and then get the hell out of Dodge, ok?' Mercedes said firmly.

'What am I?'Santana asked as they headed towards the entrance.

'Other than a bitch...' Kurt chuckled _sotto voce_.

'You're my maid of honour!' Mercedes rolled her eyes.

'Great! Let's party! 'her friend said sashaying through the door.

They stopped dead in the middle of the department store gaping incredulously at the lushness of the surroundings. Velvet tones of pink and purple resonated through the store giving an air of romance. It was like a utopia for the marriage-mad, Mercedes decided.

'Holy cow...' Kurt whispered awed.

'May I help, you?' a perfectly groomed sales assistant approached them, smiling widely.

'Uh no...We're just loo-' Mercedes was cut off by Santana's confident tones.

'Yes, please do. My friend here is getting married!' she gushed excitedly gesturing to Mercedes. 'To my brother! Isn't it wonderful?' she threw an arm around Blaine.

Mercedes cringed as Blaine shrank back.

'Congratulations,Miss!' The sales assistant said warmly. 'My name is Kelly and I will be pleased to help you in whatever you need!'

'Well, I think we should start by trying on dresses,' Santana suggested earning twin glares from Mercedes and Blaine.

'I think you have to make an appointment, Santana' Mercedes said smiling politely and turning to leave.

'Don't worry, miss. I'm sure that we can fit you in,' Kelly said gesturing towards the escalator.

'Yes, Mercy! I'm sure they can fit you in!' Santana echoed brightly. Sighing Mercedes turned and followed the assistant. On the first floor they were surrounded by racks of absolutely breath taking wedding dresses and even Mercedes gasped in awe.

'So I'll take you gentlemen around to the cafe bar...wouldn't want you to see the dress before the day!' Kelly chirped cheerfully.

'Um...sure,' Blaine said uncertainly. Kurt waggled his fingers at a now fuming Mercedes.

'Toodles!' he skipped off after the assistant. Blaine glanced worriedly at the girls then shrugged his shoulders and followed.

'This way, Miss...' another equally perfectly groomed assistant appeared at Mercedes' side gesturing for her to follow her. They walked into what was designated by a sign over head in gold romantic script as _Bride Boudoir Number 1_ and Mercedes couldn't stop the amazed whimper that burst forth from her lips. No wonder he was so successful. Every surface was covered with artificial rose petals, the air scented with a powdery delicious fragrance, a plush velvet chaise longue sat in the corner of the room together with a deep pink sofa. The carpet was a thick velveteen pile which looked like it was begging her to sink her toes into and the wallpaper was a rich pink and silver paisley.A Floor length mirror lined one wall and Mercedes gazed dazedly around her.

'Would you like any refreshments?' the assistant asked.

'No thank you. We're fine,' she replied stunned. Even to her marriage-hating eyes, she could see this was exactly what brides would deem to be perfection. The whole fairyatale experience starting as soon as they crossed the threshold of the store.

'Well, then please take a seat and we'll discuss the kind of dress you're looking for...'

Blaine helped himself to another pastry leaning towards Kurt to whisper 'these are sooo good!' Kurt opened his mouth to reply when he caught sight of something that made him do a double take. Or rather a someone...a someone that by rights should have been in Chicago and that was headed right towards them.

'Uh-oh...'

Sam stretched at his desk, frowning slightly as his stomach growled and decided to take a wander down to the cafe bar. After leaving Starlight Brides he had a brief conversation with his father which resulted in his dad insisting that he go to Chicago with Sam's mother to sort whatever the issue was out. He couldn't help but feel grateful as he had felt that he may well have been making a least a little progress with Mercedes and that leaving would allow her to repair the cracks in the wall around her heart. Strolling into the cafe bar he caught sight of a familiar head of hair and made his way over.

'Hey Kurt,' he greeted warmly, eyes flicking curiously to his bow-tied companion. 'What brings you here? Considering saying yes to doing business with Pronovia?'

'I'm getting married,' Blaine interjected. 'My fiancée is trying on dresses with her friend and Kurt is my best man,' Blaine recited oblivious to Kurt's warning look.

'Congratulations, man! Well I hope you guys find everything you need...I' sure the girls in the boudoirs will be treating your fiancée like a princess,' he smiled.

'I don't envy them! Mercedes can be-'Blaine was cut off by Sam's harsh interjection.

'_What_ did you say?' Sam's eyebrows were drawn together in an angry frown.

'Blaine!' Kurt tried to cut him off at the same time, shaking his head.

'Umm I said I don't envy them...' he trailed off uncertainly.

'No! Your fiancée's name!'

'Mercedes?' Blaine answered although it came out more as a question. Sam's expression was thunderous and his fists clenched and unclenched at his side.

'_Mercedes Jones?'_ he asked in a dangerously quiet tone.

'Yes that's her!' Blaine smiled what he was assumed was the smile of the besotted whilst Kurt dropped his head in his hands.

'Where is she?' Sam asked through clenched teeth, jealousy overwhelming him completely. If Mercedes thought this fool in front of him was going to deter him then she could think again...

'Boudoir one,' Blaine said happily unaware of adding fuel to the fire that was now raging in Sam's heart.

Without another word, Sam strode out of the cafe bar and towards the changing area with Kurt running after him towing a confused Blaine.

'Wait Sam!' he called managing to get a hold of his arm just as they arrived at the entrance of boudoir one.

'Blaine isn't Mercy's fiancé!' Sam turned back towards Kurt, the black look of anger on his face turning to confusion.

'What?' he asked blankly.

'He's my partner...'Kurt said pulling Blaine closer to him.

'Why is he saying he's engaged to Mercedes then?'

'We thought you were out of town...and Mercedes wanted to take the opportunity to have a look around...' he explained wincing. 'Blaine was roped in to play the role of her fiancé..He's in theatre you know,' Kurt elaborated.

Sam smiled, wolfishly. The relief flooding his system almost leaving his knees weak.

'Oh she did, did she now?' Ok well...why don't you go back to the bar while I have a word with Miss Jones,' Not waiting for a reply he knocked on the boudoir's door. He had brief conversation with the assistant and then she stepped outside ushering Santana ahead of her.

'What the hell!' she exclaimed annoyed then she caught sight of Sam 'Trouty Mouth!'

'Come with us Satan,' Kurt grabbed her arm dragging her away. 'Let the good Mr Evans talk to Mercedes,'

'Take a break,Miss Wiltshire' he said to the assistant pleasantly.

'But sir-'

'Have anything you want in the cafe bar and get them to put it on my tab. Don't move from there.' With that he pushed opened the boudoir door, stepped through and locked it firmly behind him.

He heard Mercedes call to Santana and smirked.

'Hey, San! This is ridiculous! I look like an overstuffed meringue. Come and help me take this hideous thing off!'

He walked over to the privacy screen the assistant had set up for Mercedes to change behind.

'I'll be more than happy to help,' he drawled as she whirled around shocked at the sound of his voice. Her hands went up over her heart as the breath whooshed out of her lungs.

'Hey,honey...I'm hooome..' he sing -songed before reaching for her.


	5. Come Undone

**Hey guys...wow just want to thank you for all your reviews both on TWP and Chord and the Great Chicken Caper crack! fic...107 reviews on 4 chapters of TWP was completely and utterly soooo unexpected and as for the crack! fic..it was only meant as a bit of fun on gleeforum!**

**Disclaimer:Not mine-otherwise the twattery that was the end of season 3 would have been so different!**

**Song is Come Undone by Duran Duran**

Mine, immaculate dream, made breath and skin, I've been waiting for you,  
Signed, with a home tattoo, Happy birthday to you was created for you.

(Can't ever keep from falling apart.. At the seams)  
(Can't I believe you're taking my heart.. to pieces)  
Ahh, it'll take a little time, might take a little crime to come undone  
Now we'll try to stay blind, to the hope and fear outside,  
Hey child, stay wilder than the wind  
And blow me in to cry.  
Who do you need?  
Who do you love?  
When you come undone.  
Who do you need?  
Who do you love?  
When you come undone.

Words, playing me deja vu, Like a radio tune I swear I've heard before,  
Chill, is it something real, Or the magic I'm feeding off your fingers  
(Can't ever keep from falling apart.. at the seams)  
(Can I believe you're taking my heart.. to pieces)

Lost, in a snow filled sky, we'll make it alright, to come undone,  
Now we'll try to stay blind, to the hope and fear outside,  
Hey child, stay wilder than the wind -  
And blow me in to cry.  
Who do you need?  
Who do you love?  
When you come undone.

* * *

For an awful second Mercedes' feet were glued to the floor in shock. _What the hell was he doing here? He was meant to be in Chicago for God's sake! _She stared disbelievingly at the sight of Sam Evans standing in the middle of the boudoir a grim smile playing on his lips. He reached for her and her body leapt into action at the brush of his fingers on her arm. She stepped backwards before being brought up short by the wall behind her and she side-stepped cautiously along the wall, eyes trained on him distrustfully. The full tulle skirt of the wedding dress restricted her movements; she had tried it on at Santana's insistence, knowing full well that the meringue style dress would definitely not be a contender if she were truly getting married. Layers and layers of stiff net made the skirt almost like a giant pouf and she knew that she must look a sight in it.

'Hello, Mercedes' he said walking slowly, deliberately towards her.

'What are you doing here?' she asked accusation colouring her tone as she inched her way along the wall away from him.

'I own this store,' he said his voice lethally quiet. 'What are _you_ doing here?' he raised one eyebrow sardonically pointedly gazing at the wedding dress she was wearing.

'Santana made me try this-' she began and stopped abruptly at his burst of expelled air.

'You wanna play this game? Fine, have it your way, but I guarantee you Mercedes Jones you're going to lose,'

Mercedes swallowed hard, grimacing at the constriction in her throat. She scooted behind the back of the chaise longue, and he mentally shook his head at her foolishness. Did she really believe that a piece of furniture would hold him back?

'I met your fiancé, Mercy' he told her, smiling a pleasant smile. Her eyes widened at the thought of Blaine meeting Sam. She wondered how much Blaine had said and how much Sam actually knew. She tried to gauge if he actually knew why she was there but his face remained passive. _He had no idea..._

'I must admit I was surprised to hear you were engaged given your irrational hatred for marriage,' he went on conversationally.

'It was sudden,' inspiration seizing Mercedes. She could potentially kill two birds with one stone here and let it not be said that Mercedes Jones was anything but resourceful. She could finally get rid of Sam, she ignored her heart clenching hard causing a tender ache at the thought of not seeing him anymore, and get way without exposing her spying mission. She needed to put an end to whatever there was between them and remove the very real threat he posed to her heart.

'Really?' Sam's face was unreadable.

'Yes...I mean I met him one day...and well agreed to marry him the next!' she tried to laugh but the sound was too shrill and nervous-sounding for her liking. 'It was like Quinn and Kurt are always telling me...love at first sight!' she winced inwardly as the bald-faced lie left her lips.

'When's the happy date?' Sam asked, eyes hooded. Something about the way he was looking at her made her ner-p00000000t,km6y7vous, very nervous.

'Well, we haven't agreed on an actual date yet, but sometime in May,' she answered, the lies tripping off her tongue. Her mother would have her hide if she heard the rubbish her daughter was currently spouting.

'So soon...' Sam trailed off and Mercedes got the impression he was laughing at her. _Hateful man! He's crazy! But you like his brand of crazy_ a snide little voice nagged in the back of her mind.

'We thought why wait...strike while the iron's hot and all that...' she shifted uncomfortably in the monstrous creation she wore, certain she resembled an overbaked exploding meringue.

'So...when did you meet him?' Sam asked, biting his lip.

'A-after you left the store the other day,' _Come on Mercy, you're a much better liar than Quinn, pull yourself together!_

'Whirlwind romance for sure,' he said drily. She stood defiantly crossing her arms.

'We're in love!' she defended forcefully.

'Sure, you are,' the sarcasm in his tone was not lost on her. 'So why here? You own a bridal store...why not get Quinn to plan your wedding for you?'

'Well, I decided that I wanted to experience the fairytale treatment you've been carping on about,' she shrugged carelessly.

'Your verdict so far?' he seemed genuinely interested but something was off, she just couldn't be sure what.

'Well, it's an experience alright...the store is very romantic...the attention to detail is outstanding...' she caught herself, she was gushing for heaven's sake! There was no reason to add to the man's already over-inflated ego. 'But it's too overwhelming and commercialised and false,'

'Hmmm...' he nodded accepting her answer. 'He seems a nice guy,' he startled her at the lightening fast return in their conversation to the subject of Blaine.

'Yes, he is...he's lovely...and handsome...and polite...and respectful,' she affirmed with fake enthusiasm whilst cringing inside. What she was describing seemed so plain and dull compared to the livewire of a man currently stalking her in the boudoir.

'And gay...' Sam dropped the bombshell unapologetically. Mercedes eyes widened as she fought to quickly recover her composure at his words.

* * *

Sam bit the inside of his cheeks, trying not to laugh as lie after lie rolled off Mercedes' tongue. True, she was a much better liar than Quinn but who did she really think she was fooling? She was a vision in what by rights should have been a hideous creation of a dress, but then he was starting to think she could wear a plastic refuse sack and still look gorgeous. She was driving him crazy...had been ever since he had first laid eyes on her in that club and he had no intention of letting her get away so easily. Question by question, answer by answer he was lulling her into a false sense of security, letting her think that he believed her sham of an engagement was real. He smiled a Cheshire cat grin at her last statement extolling the virtues of her fake fiancé and opened his mouth to floor her with his next pronouncement.

'And gay...' The horror in her eyes, told him she knew she had been caught but as soon as it had appeared it was gone and he saw her squaring her shoulders, ready to do battle once again.

'I don't know where you've picked up such a crazy idea,' she began to back away from the chaise longue heading towards the door of the boudoir in what he assumed she thought was a surreptitious manner.

'It came straight from the horse's mouth, Mercy,' he told her dropping the facade completely now, letting her know, that he knew _exactly_ what had been going on. 'I have to say I admire the lengths you've gone to but really if you had wanted a tour I would've been more than happy to give you a _private_ after-hours one...' he quirked his lips in a suggestive smile 'And I would have been more than happy for you to try on any one of the hundreds of wedding dresses we have here, for me,'

'Ohhh! You...you...!' words apparently failed Mercedes and he watched as she became overcome with rage. _Yes, that's it Sweetpea, come on...bring the angry, forget to be wary and step into my trap...then boom! I'll have you._

'I'm not surprised that you have to go round spying on your competition though,' he said adopting an air of pity, ignoring the warning flash in her eyes. 'After all your business is failing so abysmally I feel sorry for you,'. He counted inwardly waiting for the explosion to come. _One ,two ,th-_ he never got to three as an ivory silk and net clad Mercedes Jones barrelled angrily straight towards where he stood in the centre of the room. _I have you now..._

* * *

Mercedes stormed up to Sam, index finger waving dangerously close to his face, fury evident in every line of her body.

'You listen to me, Sam Evans,' she hissed. 'Don't you ever _dare_ feel sorry me! You're the one that put us in a bad situation-' she broke off as he started to circle her slowly where she was standing, his action disorienting and distracting her.

'What are you doing?' she all but shrieked at him.

'Getting a better look at the view,' he told her shamelessly as he passed directly behind her, stopping long enough for her to feel his warm breath on the nape of her neck. She suppressed a violent shiver, the hairs on the back of her neck rising in response to his proximity. His lips grazed her right earo and he took the opportunity to whisper

'You sure do suit wedding dresses, Miz Jones,' his hands resting gently on her back. Before she realised what had happened she felt the laces at the back of the dress give way as he released the ornate bow that they had been tied into at the small of her back. Mercedes felt the rush of cool air hitting her skin and she held the bodice up desperately and he circled around again to end up in front of her, smiling a shit-eating grin.

She whirled heading for the door, not caring what the hell she would look like, just wanting to get out of there before she threw herself shamelessly at him. Her heart was pounding, her breasts were tight, nipples rubbing tormentedly against the stiff fabric and boning of the corset-like bodice. She tugged on the handle but to no avail and turning around saw that Sam hadn't moved from his spot in the room but was holding up an ornate looking key. The key to the boudoir, no doubt...

He smirked at her, twirling the key in his long fingers, inciting her to come and get it.

'Give me that key right now!' she demanded breathlessly, not moving from the door.

'Uh-uh...how about you ask me nicely, baby. Ask me nicely and I'll do _anything_ you want,' he pitched hi s voice low, and she felt her womb contract in reaction._ If he can do that to me with his voice I don't even want to imagine what he could do with his...Stop it, Mercy! Concentrate! Concentrate on getting the hell out of here and running as fast as your legs can carry you..._

'Santana and Kurt will be back in a minute! You'll have to let them in!' she cried grasping at straws.

'Don't worry about that...they're having a fantastic lunch in the cafe bar, no expenses spared, on the house,' he told her.

'Toss me that key,' she stamped her foot, never relinquishing her death grip on the dress.

'You want it?' he mocked lightly 'Come and get it,' and as she hesitated, undecided added 'Unless you're scared,'

Mercedes ignored the warning sirens that were going off in her head and stalked towards him holding her hand out for the key expectantly. Sam smiled slyly as though he something she didn't.

'This key?' he asked mocked innocently. She fumed silently and nodded her head her foot tapping on the ground impatiently.

'I don't have time for your shi-' she stopped mid-sentence, stunned into silence. Sam had just dropped the key _into his underwear_!

'Whoops! Sorry, it slipped out of my hand,' he grinned unashamed. 'Why don't you come and retrieve it?'

Mercedes saw red. Her arms were tired of holding up the damned dress, she was hot and uncomfortable, his proximity was driving her insane with want and she just wanted to get out of there. She launched herself at him, determined to get the key at whatever cost. Sam stumbled back in surprise for a second as a blur of ivory crashed straight into his arms. He hadn't expected her to attack with such abandonment but maybe he had just pushed her too far.

'Give me the damn key, you asshole!' she howled as his arms came around her, holding her tightly. He bent his head and his mouth found hers. Hot, hard, shockingly possessive. Mercedes tried to remember why it wasn't a good idea but her body was screaming at her;_ Come on dammit, closer, more...Just get closer..._Wrapping her arms around Sam's neck she pulled him closer even as she lifted herself towards her. Surprise registered in his eyes as she opened her mouth willingly under his onslaught, the fire of her fury with him spurring her on. She let him devour her mouth with his lips, his tongue and his teeth. What did it matter if she let him have her? It would be a onetime thing only...she'd make sure of that...but she needed this. Needed to have him, to feel him, to touch him to be able to quench the unthinkable thirst she had for him. To exorcise the dreams about him that insisted on plaguing her sleep and the sinful thoughts of him that plagued her waking hours. She would give in just the once and then she'd walk away heart intact..._You can do this...you know you can..._It was just sex. Just scratching an itch, she lied to herself.

He pressed his tongue deeper and deeper, demanding more and more. One hand involuntarily lifted to thread through his blond strands and her head whirled, her knees trembled and the little voice at the back of her mind was screaming _Abort! Abort! _As Mercedes came too late to the realisation, as his tongue raided every corner of her mouth, that it would never be enough. This would never be enough; not one time. She had the awful feeling that she would die wanting this man inside her and the discovery was as unexpected as it was devastating. She attempted to pull back but he pressed her tighter against him, giving no quarter. The bodice of her dress had slipped down exposing her purple lacy bra and she heard him groan against her lips as his hands rose to cup her breasts through the material of her bra whilst he squeezed her nipples between his thumbs and index fingers. She wanted to whimper so badly but her stubborn pride wouldn't allow it. She bit her lip to keep from crying out as his lips pulled a dusky nipple into his mouth and licked, sucked and nipped it driving her out of her mind with desire.

'You're so beautiful in that dress,' he muttered pressing kisses to the swell of her breasts. His words broke through the sensual haze she was locked in.

'The dress...can't damage it,' she managed to get out as his mouth latched on to the pulse point at the base of her neck and this time she couldn't have stopped the moan that came out of her mouth for anything in the world.

'Fuck the dress,' he whispered against her hot skin. 'CEO's orders...' and he spun her round to unlace the bodice completely. Suddenly freed from his arms, Mercedes tried to shake her head to clear it but he suddenly turned her back around, tugging the offending garment free, leaving her clad in her bra and the full net skirt.

'Sam... I-' whatever she was going to say next was lost under the pressure of his lips and the swipe of his tongue and with hands that she barely knew were her own, she pushed the navy blazer he was wearing off his body. Her hands were up and under the white v-neck shirt he was wearing, tracing the perfect abs she had felt before in the club's restroom.

'Yesss,' he hissed feeling her fingers roaming, catching on the waist band of his slacks, hesitating until he covered them with his own, guiding her to the zip and closing his eyes as she slid it down slowly, deliberately brushing against his cock. His other hand reached out, cupping her breast, letting his thumb run in light, seductive circles over the already aroused nipple. Mercedes arched against his hand and she could have sworn she heard electricity crackle around them. That one simple touch seared through her entire being, through muscles and organs until she began to fear she would spontaneously combust. He kicked his pants off and in one swift move he swept her high into his arms carrying her bridal style to the chaise longue, placing her gently down on the velveteen fabric, pulling away only long enough to tug his shirt over his head and returning to settle in between her thighs like it was the place he had been born to be. He stared at her, out of eyes burning with need,studied her,watched her, waited for her.

There was no way Mercedes could pull back now, she was too far gone, lost in a maelstrom of want and passion for this man. She moaned low in her throat and reached for Sam, pulling him up over her, onto her, wanting to feel every inch of his body pressed against every inch of hers. Those wonderful green eyes had darkened, an intense heat burning inside of them. His desire was palpable and a shiver of excitement skittered up her spine making her arched harder against him. She licked her suddenly dry lips and he lowered his head to hers his eyes following the motion of her tongue intently.

'I need you,' his voice was soft, seductive and so, so deliciously sinful. A silken whisper stroking along her skin, a velvet caress igniting every cell in her body, a spark so bright it ignited the core of her to burn faster, higher, hotter than she had ever before. 'I need all of you,'

'Yes,' she acquiesced. It was a whisper, confusion and excitement shooting through her veins with every breath. His face was serious reflecting the intensity he felt inside; she was his total focus, his total world in that moment. His body was hard, completely unyielding against the softness of her own and it made her feel more feminine than she had ever felt in her life. So much more aware of the power she wielded as a woman and the ability she had to bring this man to his knees. To turn him completely inside out and make him forget everything but how much he wanted her, how much he had to have her.

He pulled back slightly to pull off the net skirt and no soon had she felt the cool air on her bare legs, his hand slipped inside her panties, fingers, questing , gliding promising all sorts of wicked delight if she'd only let him play. She was wet and slick, her thighs drenched and she tried unsuccessfully to suppress a strangled gasp as his knuckle grazed her clit. He smiled wolfishly as his fingers probed her entrance and he slipped one, then two inside, stretching her open for him. Every muscle in her body tensed and she rode his hand, too far gone to care that she was literally begging him with every movement she made, every sound she uttered. He ran his fingers back and forth repeatedly, insistently, against her slit; dipping inside just enough to drive her crazy with want, rubbing her inner lips with just enough pressure to have her gasping for breath and trying to press herself closer.

'Is this what you want, Mercy? You want me right here, between your thighs, don't you baby?' He thrust one finger inside her hard and then another and another...her body responded mindlessly, her inner walls clenching around his fingers greedily making her cry out at the pleasure he was bringing her.

'Does it feel good, Mercy?' he asked leaning down to capture a nipple and biting down gently causing her to buck wildly against him. She bit down on her lip trying not to answer but his thumb circled her clit rhythmically, before stopping warningly, silently communicating to her that if she wanted him to keep playing she would have to answer him.

'Does it feel good?' He asked again, kissing her thoroughly, leaving her wanting more as he slowly disentangled his tongue from hers.

'So good,' she gasped moving her fingers in rhythm with his thrusting fingers.

'It's gonna feel so much better,' he promised shifting so his head was now level with her slit, her legs lying either side of his head. His tongue-his sinfully wicked tongue-snaked out to caress her inner folds over and over. Mercedes could do nothing else but spread her legs wider, on a quest for something more, something infinitely deeper. She didn't know it but Sam Evans was about to deliver in spades. He spread her thighs as far as possible and thrust his tongue deep inside her, whilst his thumb stroked her clit. She came instantly, screaming and arching wildly against his mouth. He held her in place, his arm unmovable across her pelvis as he continued to lick and suck her through the first climax and into a second mind-blowing one before he consented to let her go.

She sat up shakily as aftershocks of incredible ecstasy continued to wrack her body, pulling him up beside her. He turned to watch her as she slid onto her knees before him, completely entranced, fingers hooking onto his boxers, tugging them down insistently. They both heard the thud of the key as it fell onto the carpet but neither paid it any mind. Her hand found his erection and she pumped gently marvelling at both its silky smoothness and its hardness, unsure if they would fit.

He read the question in her eyes and smiled, biting the corner of his lip.

'We'll fit,' he assured her 'we'll definitely fit...in fact we'll more than fit,' and he closed his eyes as she ran her thumb back and forth over the tip of his cock and pumped gently, her plump lips parted in concentration. She'd never felt this way before, as though she had to touch him or she would die and it scared her. _Taste it,_ the voice in her mind whispered seductively. _Taste it...you know you want to..._ She leaned forward and took him in her mouth, savouring his low groan as well as the feel of him in her mouth, against her lips.

His hands fisted gently in her hair, holding her in place as her tongue slid up and down the entire length of him. She looked up through her lashes and found him watching her intently; his burning eyes following her every movement as she slid her lips up and down his cock.

'Fuck, Mercedes,' he begged as she swirled her tongue around his tip, deliberately pausing to flick at the drop of pre-cum he couldn't hold back. She took him in her mouth and scraped her teeth lightly down the underside of his cock relishing the involuntary jerk of his hips as he nearly shot off the chaise. He pulled her away, grimacing at her frown of disappointment whispering

'If you keep doing that I'm gonna cum...and when I come I want to be inside you,' He quickly got up and strode over too his jacket, extricating a foil packet form his wallet, before sitting back down on the chaise longue, tugging her to stand before him as he rolled the condom on. He pulled her onto his lap then, ignoring her protests that she was too exposed, finding her slit with his fingers and raising her up just above his cock. She felt him probing her entrance and slid down suddenly, no longer in control of her own body, just following its demands like a mindless disciple.

'Oh my God!' she moaned as he filled her. For a moment she felt too full, too invaded by him, certain that she could never take all of him but then his hips shifted and he surged upwards, sliding home in one fell movement, impaling her to the hilt. 'Saaam!' she breathed, eyes wide.

'Shit...Mercedes...' he grasped her hips lifting her up and down slightly until she caught the rhythm and began to move on her own, walls clenching tightly around him whilst she rode his cock. She slammed down again and again, feeling him hitting her spot over and over, closing her eyes as he reached up to fondle her breasts, plucking and rolling the nipples until she all she was capable of doing was screaming his name.

'Fuck, Mercy,' he groaned, rolling his hips upwards, curses slipping softly, unchecked from his lips as he thrust into her again and again. He tugged her down to wrap his tongue around her nipple and she whimpered as the pleasure went on and on without letting her catch her breath; a tether pulled almost unbearably tight from her breasts to her pussy electrifying everything it encountered in its path. He raised her above him groaning as she pulled of his cock, wanting nothing but to sink back into her scorching heat.

'Oh God, Sam...Fuck me!' she didn't care how desperate she sounded, she just needed to feel him back inside her. His hands gripped her hips pulling her down roughly onto his cock as her mouth opened in a soundless scream.

'See how we fit Mercy?' he asked her gasping. 'I told you...you were made for me,'

'Sammy, please,' she begged incoherent, each thrust downward, each graze of his tongue against her nipples making her moan, taking her higher and higher until she could think of nothing but him, this, until she could want nothing but his hot possession. Forever. He reached for her clit, stroking his thumb over it once, twice, three times. She clenched around his cock so tightly, Sam thought he was going to lose his mind. She went off like a firecracker unable to prevent the hoarse scream of his name that was torn from her throat.

'I'm cumming,' she wailed, overwhelmed by the feel of him inside her, the scent of him all around her and the taste of him still on her 'd never felt anything like this before, had never imagined that pleasure could feel like this. So insidiously delicious, never-ending, taking her higher and higher with every breath she took. She was unable to think or worry, couldn't control herself and she couldn't bring herself to care. All that mattered to her in the here and now was the pleasure and the man giving it to her with every move he made. Harder and harder he thrust through the contractions that were rhythmically squeezing his cock. Not fully recovered from her own climax, she felt his orgasm approaching...he slammed upwards into her a final time and she shot unexpectedly over the edge again, screaming as she came around his cock. Sam shouted her name, finally letting himself go, praying and hoping in the aftermath of the most amazing orgasm he had ever experienced that in the same way he had poured every part of himself into loving her, she could find a way to let him have a tiny part of her in return.

Mercedes focused on the man lying beside her and felt a flare of panic ignite in her core. What had she done? What the _hell_ had she done? _It's just sex...it's nothing more than that...just sex_... she kept repeating the mantra over and over, willing it to be true but knowing deep down inside that it was all one big lie. There was no way this was ever going to be a one-time thing, a heat of the moment fling to be discarded and forgotten. She was going to pay the price, she _knew_ it. Too late she had realised that more than just her body had been compromised. No matter how much she had tried to avoid it, her heart had become involved and she had somehow lost it in between hot kisses in a club restroom, a sultry encounter in a bridal shop and now mind-blowing sex in a store's changing room. She buried her head in her hands, willing the tears that she felt welling up in her eyes to magically disappear but to no avail. She had lost. Mercedes Jones had finally been beaten. She had lost her heart and the hole it had left behind was terrifying. She couldn't allow herself to love him...she couldn't! After what he had done to their business, after all she had witnessed as a child growing up, she knew love wasn't for her. Truth be told she doubted it was for Sam Evans either. He'd make someone a terrible husband someday she was sure, but it would not be her...Guys like him always started out with good intentions, that fell by the wayside as life's temptations presented themselves before them and she wanted no part of that.

After they had separated from each other, after she had pulled herself off his cock, they had lain back down together, not speaking, although his arms held her tightly, his fingers stroking up and down her shoulder, telling their own tactile story. She had finally heard his breathing deepen and had known he had fallen asleep. _Run, run as fast and as far as you can...and don't you dare let him near you again..._ Horrified by her actions she quickly located her clothes and pulled them on hurriedly, keeping an eye on him warily.. She retrieved the key from where it had fallen on the carpet and headed for the door, inserting it in the lock and turning it, breathing a sigh of relief as it unlock. She'd be out of there in a couple of seconds...As her hand went to turn the handle a hand shot out to grab her wrist and she was spun around to face an angry as hell and butt-naked Sam Evans.

'Where the hell do you think you're going?' he asked, fuming. 'You were just going to sneak off!'

'I don't want to talk about this,' she shook her head wildly, dashing the tears that fell away quickly but not quickly enough to hide the fact that she was crying from him. His eyes softened and he tried to pull her into his embrace.

'Mercedes, baby...look we need to talk about this-'

'There is nothing to talk about! Do you hear me? _Nothing_!' she told him angrily.

'We just made love,' he said frowning at her words. 'And you don't want to talk about it?'

'We fucked! Screwed! Call it what you will!' she pronounced crudely and his face grew thunderous at her words. 'This meant nothing! It will not happen ever again,'

'That's base Mercy, even for you,' he gritted out, a black look of fury etched on his handsome face.

'Don't you dare judge me! Don't you dare!' she shrieked.

'Are you fucking kidding me? You want to reduce what happened between us to something meaningless and you want me not to judge you?' he shook his head incredulously

'You don't have the right to make me discuss something I don't want to with you!' she spat, crossing her arms defensively over her chest.

'I don't give a shit about what you don't want to discuss! What happened was real, Mercy. I touched you, you touched me, hell you put your mouth on my co-'he broke off as she clapped her hands over her ears.

'I'm not listening,' she chanted provoking him to wrench her hands down and hold them at her side.

'I was _inside_ you Mercedes, and no amount of childish games can change that!'

'I'm not playing a game, dammit! I want you to leave me the hell alone!' she cried desperately.

'That's never going to happen,' his tone carried an air of finality. Wrenching her hands free she shoved him backwards hard, catching him off guard. She quickly opened the door and stepped through turning her head to say over her shoulder,

'This is over, Evans. Accept it and move on. Don't try and make something out of it, just leave me alone,'

Sam stood in the boudoir, helplessly aware that he had mis-stepped somewhere...despair evident in every line of his features. He was back to square one with her. Instead of bringing them closer, what they had shared had torn them apart..._she_ had torn them apart. Maybe he _should_ let her go...maybe this was not destined to be...maybe..Sam strode over to where his clothes lay scattered on the carpet. He hardened his heart...no this was not over...not by a long short. _It's not over, Jones. No matter how much you want it to be. I will make you face up to this...this isn't _'nothing'..._you're about to find that out and that's a solid gold Sam Evans promise._


	6. Going Down in Flames

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of its characters more's the pity.**

**Thank you for all your reviews...you guys are amazing! Just to let you know as I've had a few pm's regarding this I'm not moving the fic for the time being but we gals at gleeforum are currently constructing our group tumblr that will also house our fics. The Wedding Planner, Shining Light, Chord and the Great Chicken Caper along with the rest of mine will be available to read there so if this does get deleted then we have a place where those who are following our fics can continue reading! Once we finally have the tumblr up and running I'll let you guys know!Also in the light of one incredibly rude pm I received on Chord and The Great Chicken Caper, I am aware that someone has plagiarised someone else's work. Now I'm not interested in getting into this issue but I will only say this. Yes my real name is Anni as stated in Chord and the Great Chicken Caper but I am in no way, shape or form related to the author who had been accused of alledgedly doing this (Annikay) and I have no idea whether it is true or not and do not wish to know either lol...that way lies trouble,boy! Thanks! Hugs and kisses!**

**Big shoutout to Shoetingstar...I borrowed 'Francine' from her...lol!**

**Song is Going Down In Flames by 3 Doors Down**

******Going Down In Flames**

Don't tell me what to think

Cause I don't care this time

Don't tell me what to believe

Cause you won't be there

To catch me when I fall

But you'll need me when

I'm not here at all

Miss me when I'm gone again, yeah

I'm going down in flames

I'm falling into this again, yeah

I'm going down in flames

I'm falling into this again  
Don't tell me how life is

Cause I don't really want to know

Don't tell me how this game ends

Cause we'll just see how it goes

Catch me when I fall

Or you'll need me when I'm not here at all

Miss me when I'm gone again, yeah  
I'm going down in flames

I'm falling into this again,

yeah I'm going down in flames

I'm falling into this again, yeah  
Now, I'm all the way down here I'm falling

I'm all the way down here

I'm falling down again

I'm falling down I'm falling down

I'm falling down  
I'm going down in flames

I'm falling into this again, I'm going down in flames

I'm falling into this again  
Now, I'm all the way down here

I'm falling All the way

All the way down here

I'm falling down again now I'm falling down

Quinn listened to Mercedes sigh for the fifth time in ten minutes and put down her fork catching Kurt's eye. Kurt shrugged almost imperceptibly, letting her know that he still didn't have a clue what was wrong and she frowned inwardly. Ever since the sorry rag tag group walked back into Starlight Brides from the covert spying mission they had left on, Mercedes had withdrawn into herself, saying no more than they had been caught and that Sam had not been happy. She had pleaded a headache and gone home but Quinn could've sworn she had seen the tell-tale glimmer of tears in her eyes. The door had barely shut behind Mercedes before Quinn rounded on all of them, glaring at them fiercely and demanding an explanation.

''What the hell happened?' she had looked to Kurt first to provide the answer she was looking for.

'I have no idea,' he had lifted his arms helplessly. 'One minute she was with Santana trying on wedding dresses, the next Satan had been escorted out to join us in the cafe,'

'What the hell was she doing trying on wedding dresses?' Quinn had been incredulous. Mercedes Jones', the girl who had sworn she would never get married, had gone to Pronovia on a spying mission and ended up trying on wedding dresses?

'What?' Santana had drawled unconcerned. 'It would have been rude not to take advantage of the whole Pronovia experience...' Kurt had glared at her. 'Just saying...' she added.

'Since when have you been concerned about being rude, Beelzebub?' had asked sarcastically.

'Bite me, Casper the Friendly Gay-boy,' she had retorted. 'You're just jealous you didn't get to try a maid of honour dress on,'

'Guys! Can we just return to the problem at hand for a minute?' Quinn had intervened. Only Blaine had remained silent rocking back and forward on his heels, nervously and she fixed him with an icy stare. 'Blaine?'

Blaine quailed at the look in Quinn's eyes. She was a sweet girl for the most part but you really did not want to get on her bad side...he was more scared of a truly pissed off Quinn than he had ever been of Santana. Maybe that was because most of the time he thought Santana was full of hot air. It's the quiet ones you need to be careful of son, his father had told him and it was a piece of advice that thus far in life had never failed him.

'Well...we were in the cafe...and we saw the owner of Pronovia...' he trailed off.

'Sam? And?' Quinn pressed.

'He asked what we were doing there and I said I was getting married to Mercedes and all of the sudden he was going hell for leather to the changing rooms,' Blaine explained, still unsure as to really what had gone on. Quinn's eyes widened in horror.

'I managed to catch up to him, though and explain what we were doing there,' Kurt said trying to calm her down.

'You told him she was there to _spy_ on him?' her voice was shrill.

'It was either that or risk him killing Blaine...you should've seen the look on the man's face,'Kurt defended.

'_And then what happened?_' Quinn asked with lethally quiet emphasis.

'He told us to take Santana back to the cafe with us...so we did,' Blaine finished.

Quinn shook her head. 'I told you guys! I _told_ her that it was asking for trouble! Would she listen? No!'

'I don't know what went on between them...' Kurt took a deep breath before admitting 'But whatever it was, they weren't just playing checkers in there...her sweatshirt was on inside out when she came out, and her lipgloss was smudged, and I swear I could smell sex and Sam on her,'

'Wanky,' Santana muttered an unholy light of laughter glinting in her eyes 'Me gusta!'

Blaine stared at his boyfriend, amazed that Kurt had noticed that when he himself hadn't noticed a thing.

'Eww! Too much information! I don't need to hear anymore!' Quinn shuddered repressively.

'Just sign yourself into a convent already, Q. Go on Kurt, I could stand to hear a little more,' Santana rolled her eyes at Quinn.

'What?' Kurt noticed Blaine's stare. 'I notice things...besides it's a very distinctive smell...'he explained smirking.

'She didn't say anything to you guys?' Quinn pressed.

'No, she just came and practically dragged us out of the store. All she would say is that he's angry,'

'Great!' Quinn said in frustration. 'The guy that's meant to be helping us is now angry that she went to spy on him, they've indulged in what was probably hot, angry sex-' Santana waggled her eyebrows at that 'and we've got to somehow get her to Cincinnati for the wedding fair...where said guy will also be in attendance! What a mess!'

'Maybe it'll all blow over,' Blaine broke into the silence that followed Quinn's statement. Kurt looked at his boyfriend with affectionate exasperation.

'The way Sam looked before he went into that room, I'd say there's a snowball's chance in hell of that happening...'

Quinn had watched Mercedes closely for three days. Her best friend's head had shot up immediately at the sound of the shop door opening, gazing at it with undisguised hope, only to have disappointment creep into her gaze as she saw it wasn't the person she wanted it to be. Every time the phone rang Mercedes had tensed, then her shoulders had slumped as she realised it wasn't the person she had hoped it would be at the end of the line.

Now, sitting in the diner, watching Mercedes push the food around her plate, Quinn decided to take the bull by its horns and discuss the elephant in the room.

'Sam,' she said simply. Mercedes' head shot up from her plate.

'Where?' she looked around quickly.

'You're like this because of Sam,' Quinn explained patiently.

'I'm fine,' Mercedes denied, sighing.

'You're not,' Kurt took over from Quinn. 'You're not your usually bubbly self. You barely say two words and you look like you haven't slept in days...tell me what part of that is fine?'

'Have you spoken to him?' Quinn asked, already knowing the answer.

'No, I can't. He was so angry-'she stopped abruptly.

'About the spying?' Kurt asked disbelievingly. If anything he'd have placed money on the fact that Sam would've have found the whole thing secretly funny. He didn't seem like the kind of guy to hold on to a grudge.

'Not exactly,' Mercedes hung her head in shame. She had realised almost the second she had exited the store that she had made a huge mistake. She should have at least had the decency to talk to Sam about what had happened instead of trying to protect herself with barbed words and trying to dismiss and cheapen what had happened between them. She had finally been honest with herself and realised that it wasn't dislike that made her run from Sam every time he cornered her or pushed her. It was fear. Mercedes didn't want to love anyone. Her life was neatly ordered as it was, she was used to it and if it was a little lonely so what? At least she spared herself the heart ache of being cheated on or having her chosen partner fallout of love with her. She had been _perfectly_ fine until Sam Evans had come along into her life like a whirlwind wreaking havoc and devastation on her emotions. She had run form him because on some basic level her heart had recognised the danger that he posed to it. She could fall in love with him so easily, she admitted to herself. She hadn't liked that knowledge so her natural defence was to go up against him guns blazing and mouth firing all kinds of unforgivable shots. _She didn't want to fall in love..._

'Mercy-me...I think we've all guessed what went down in that changing room, sweetie,' Kurt said gently.

'Look, Mercedes. You're old enough to make your own decisions and if that means having, _sex_-' Quinn's voice dropped to a loud whisper 'with Sam Evans, that's your own prerogative. But I can't stand by and see you like this,'

'It didn't mean anything,' Mercedes tried to reassure Quinn but Kurt's derisive snort cut through the air.

'Bullshit! I call bullshit! You look awful...like you haven't slept! You look..._heartbroken_,'

'I'm not!' she insisted vehemently. 'I'm just tired...I've got a lot on my plate at the moment,'

'What happened between you and Sam,' Quinn asked quietly reaching out to hold Mercy's hand, her touch gentle and understanding.

'After...after we...I tried to leave...he wanted to talk and I said some things...'her voice dropped to a painful whisper.

'Oh Mercy,' Quinn looked at her miserable friend with pity. 'I'm sure it's not that bad, he'll be back, you'll see,'

'It's not bad Quinn, its worse.' She shook her head. 'And I don't want him to come back, I _don't_,' she lied fiercely glaring at her uneaten food, thinking that if she said it enough she might start believing it. Quinn shared another look with Kurt and he leaned forward.

'Mercedes, you are one of my best friends in this whole world and Gaga knows I love you but you are sometimes so obtuse it beggars belief!'

'Kurt!' Quinn interjected. It was clear that Kurt was going for the bull in the china shop approach and Quinn wasn't at all sure it was the right way to handle the situation.

'I've got this, Quinn,' he told her firmly. 'You are a coward, Mercedes Jones,' he pronounced with satisfaction.

'I am not!' she shot back quickly.

'Yes you are! How many guys have you dated?' Kurt asked, drumming his fingers on the table.

'Including Shane? One,' she answered, shrugging.

'Oh God! I forgot about him,' Quinn shuddered, thinking about Mercedes' high school and college boyfriend.

'How could you ever forget that?' Kurt said looking at her incredulously.

'He wasn't that bad,' Mercedes protested weakly.

'Apart from the fact he wore a dead slug across his lip-'Kurt replied, grimacing.

'And the 'baaaaybaaaaay where are you' business he had going on, creeping around the corridors like a stalker,' Quinn dropped her voice low in an imitation of Shane that made Mercedes involuntarily giggle.

'Ok, so he was a bit-'Mercedes began only to be cut off by Kurt's interjection.

'And the cheating. Let's not forget the cheating!'

'Ugh! How could anyone have even thought of cheating with him,' the words were out of Quinn's mouth before her brain had caught up with it. 'Shit, Mercedes,' she winced thinking of the dollars she now owed her swear box, 'I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-'

'It's ok ,Quinn, really.' Mercedes gave her friend a small smile. 'He was no great loss anyway.'

'Point is you've dated the exact sum total of one guy,' Kurt continued.

'And? Just because I don't need a man to validate my existence,' she said defensively.

'How many times have you been asked out on a date in the past couple of years?' Kurt carried on as though he hadn't heard her.

'Once or twice,' she answered, rolling her eyes.

'Once or twice,' he mimicked her. 'Try ten times, Mercy.'

'You're exaggerating,' she dismissed.

'No, I've kept count.' He said flatly. 'There was that guy at the Laundromat when your washing machine broke down and I helped you carrying it there,'

'He used cheap powder,' she excused. 'I'd have come out in rashes,'

'Ok well what about the guy downstairs from you...he was practically undressing you the day he moved in?' Quinn fired at her this time.

'There's a very good reason why there's a rule about not shitting where you eat,' Mercedes lectured, satisfied she had won that particular argument.

'What about the instructor down at the gym? He was drooling all over you,' Kurt recalled.

'Ugh! No! He kept looking at himself in the gym mirrors and preening. And anyway all he could talk about was exercise and how he liked to get up early to go for a run,' she grimaced, shaking her head.

'Point is those are but three Mercy. You've managed to find fault in all of them _including_ Sam yet you still went on a date with him,'

'He blackmailed me!' she shot back, clapping a hand over her mouth.

'How?' Quinn asked frowning at her. Mercedes felt her cheeks heat as she recalled the exact situation that had led her to agreeing to go on a date with Sam. Her breath hitched, and she pressed her thighs together firmly trying to alleviate the acute throb that was building at her core, as she thought about what he had done to her with his hands and mouth.

'Never mind,' she muttered, looking away.

'You've got to stop pushing these guys away, otherwise you're going to end up just like Santana says. An old woman living alone with her sixty cats and appearing on an episode of _Animal Hoarders_ with nothing but good memories of a long broken-down vibrator betwixt your nethers.' Kurt told her seriously.

'Wow, that's a better way of putting it,' Quinn said approvingly. 'Santana usually just says she'll end up with a dry, desiccated vaj-' she suddenly remembered where she was a bit her tongue.

'Why are you so loved up on Sam,' Mercedes glared at the pair of them. Quinn shifted guiltily.

'He's as good if not better than any one of those guys that asked you out,' she said lightly.

'Plus I think you were made for each other,' Kurt smiled. _See how we fit, Mercy? I told you ...you were made for me._ She heard Sam's passion-driven voice echo through her mind.

She shook her head to clear her mind more than anything but Kurt looked at her in disappointment.

'No one's made for each other Kurt. There's no soulmates, no one true love,' she negated flatly.

'Mercedes, you don't want to fall in love, I get that. But if you don't open your heart a little you are never going to find the person to spend the rest of your life with or have kids with. If you just took the time to really live you'd see that there _are _soulmates and there is _love_ that lasts a lifetime,'

'Kids?' Mercedes was aghast. 'No way am I ever having kids! That's final!'

'I've never understood why you are so against kids,'

'I just am. I don't need to have a reason,' there was no way _no way_ she was ever having kids.

'So no marriage and no kids. Well, I think someone should inform Sam then, because I don't think he got the memo,' Kurt sighed.

'He doesn't want to marry me. Hell, he doesn't even know me. And anyway this is all a moot point. He is never going to speak to me again,' she said painfully. She had done exactly what she had set out to do and alienated him, so why was it she felt so hollow and empty inside?

'Well, if he doesn't speak to you again, then its all fine and dandy, isn't it? Good riddance to bad rubbish and all that,' Kurt shrugged dismissively.

Mercedes had trouble swallowing as the knot in her throat grew impossibly large and the tears that had been threatening ever since she had walked out of Pronovia three days before tracked down her cheeks.

'Oh Mercedes,' Quinn reached across her seat and pulled her into a hug. 'He'll speak to you again, you'll see.' She glared warningly at Kurt. 'Mercy, we're your friends and we love you. I hate seeing you so unhappy. What Shane did was awful, but you shouldn't let that cloud your judgement of Sam. I'm not saying he's the one for you; only you know that, but I'm saying when you see him again, give him a chance.'

'I'm not seeing him again,' Mercedes mumbled. 'He's not going to want to see me again,'

'I said when Mercy, not if. I have every confidence that you'll see Sam again and much sooner than you think,' Quinn emphasized. Mercedes nodded dully at her words but try as she might she couldn't extinguish the little flare of hope that had ignited at Quinn's words.

* * *

'Hey, Kurt, take a seat' Sam greeted him warmly as he was shown into the head of Pronovia's office. Sam was sitting behind a large desk in his huge state of the art office.

'Good afternoon,' Kurt smiled back, eyes narrowing slightly as he took in Sam's secretary Amanda openly shooting Sam what could only be described as flirtacious, take-me-I'm-yours looks.

'Is there anything else, Mr Evans?' she simpered, laying one perfectly manicured hand on his sleeve. Kurt's eyebrows flew to his hair line as he watched her invade Sam's personal space, practically shoving her cleavage into his face. Sam moved back uncomfortably and replied,

'No, thank you, Amanda,' The hussy then sauntered towards the door, making a great show of dropping her pen on the floor and bending over to retrieve it leaving her suspender belt and panies on view for all to see. Sam waited until she had left the room before rolling his eyes and saying,

'That is Amanda,'

'Oh she's...very friendly...' Kurt managed diplomatically.

] Sam grimaced and muttered 'Too friendly, if you ask me. Unfortunately the only reason I've put up with her this long is because she's my mother's best friend's daughter,'

'I can see how that would be awkward...'Kurt offered understandingly.

'But she's got to go...I swear if she touches me one more time!' Sam let out his breath explosively.

'Most guys would be flattered,' Kurt continued noncommittally.

'I'm not most guys...it's getting embarrassing. I'm having her transferred but in the meantime I have to take her to the wedding fair...can't get a new PA in time,'

'For God's sake don't let Mercy see her all over you!' Kurt spoke without thinking. Sam sat up straight in his chair, green eyes pinned on him.

'How is Mercedes?' Sam asked the question that had been hovering on his tongue ever since Kurt arrived at his office for a meeting to discuss their possible joint venture. He was dying to know everything about her, hell he was dying to talk to her himself, see her but he knew that right at this moment in time it probably wasn't the best idea. He was still angry, frustrated and hurt and that would prove a lethal combination when dealing with his girl. It would only serve in alienating her even further from him , so he decided to bide his time. He'd be leaving for the wedding fair at the weekend and so would she, Kurt and Quinn. He had gotten them a pitch close to Pronovia's stand plus reservations at Evanstay Cincinnati, where of course he'd be staying.

'She's...ok,' Kurt replied and Sam frowned not liking the hesitation he had heard in Kurt's reply.

'What do mean by ok?' he pressed, his stare giving no quarter.

'Look Sam,' Kurt sighed. 'Mercedes is my bestie. No matter what opportunity I may be throwing away I won't betray her trust any more than I alreasy have,'

'Kurt, understand that the design deal is not subject to change due to any kind of issue between me and Mercedes. I wouldn't try to use that to get you to betray her trust. If I'm to have a hope in hell at establishing any kind of relationship with her, I need to understand her I'm...worried about her,' he pushed his fingers through his blonde hair.

'You and me both,' Kurt muttered. 'Sam, I know what went down between you-'

'Did she tell you?'

'No, not really. I already guessed. She had her sweatshirt on back to front and she smelt like Davidoff's Cool Water,'

Sam's mouth formed an o as he processed Kurt's words. _He_ wore Davidoff's Cool Water...

'She hasn't said much about it at all, she's super private about stuff like that but do know that she's troubled by what she said to you,'

'Which part?' Sam couldn't help saying bitterly. 'The part where she relegated what we shared to a mere fuck? Or maybe the part where she said it meant nothing to her and to leave her alone?'

Kurt's eyes widened as he heard the words leave Sam's mouth. Sam had gotten through to Mercedes that much was blaringly obvious. Mercedes was a creature of habit and after knowing her for almost half his life Kurt knew that when she was cornered and every single other line of defence was exhausted she would go on the attack using her words as weapons.

'Sam, she is not normally like this, believe me. She is the sweetest, most caring person, I swear. It's just when it comes to dating, marriage, children...feelings ...she has some incredibly difficult hang-ups to overcome,' he tried to explain as Sam looked unconvinced. 'Seriously, that business with her mom and later with Shane-'

'Shane?' Sam pounced on the name.

'Shane Tinsley,' Kurt sighed. 'He was her high school and then later her college sweetheart. He won a football scholarship to Ohio State...'

'Wait...Shane Tinsley, the linebacker?'

'The one and the same,' Kurt grimaced. 'They dated from senior year in high school to the end of college,'

'What happened?'

'He cheated on her...he had been doing it apparently since senior year in high school. Different girl every football game. Mercedes had been in glee club with me and Quinn and so wasn't around much to watch those games. She caught him a week before graduation from college when she realised she had left her purse in his dorm room. She went back to get it and the idiot in his haste to get it on with the other girl had unwittingly left the door open. Let's just say Mercy got an eyeful of exactly what had been going on,'

'What a fucker,' Sam shook his head in disbelief that anyone would want to cheat on Mercedes if they were lucky enough to have her.

'She didn't even say a word. Just turned around and left and texted him that it was over. She behaved with real class. She didn't scream or cry or cuss him out. She forbid Santana from going after him. She just cut him out of her life with a coldness that would've scared me had I not known the truth.'

'The truth?' Sam questioned, frowning.

'That she wasn't invested in the relationship. She liked Shane, sure but love him? No...she had never loved him. Sometimes I wonder if she settled for him because...' he trailed off, thinking aloud.

'Because?'

'She knew that she'd never fall in love with him therefore he couldn't hurt her. His infidelity just served to lend bolster to her argument that men were feckless and couldn't be trusted, just like her father. You've gotten to her Sam. She has only ever dated one guy. Shane. She's had plenty of offers but she shoots them all down mercilessly, yet you... she slept with.' Sam leaned forward his attention intently focused on Kurt. 'Mercedes does not do one night stands or random hook-ups-that's more Santana's forte. You do the math,'

Sam thought about it for a long minute. Then a brilliant smile spread across his face.

'She likes me,' he said wonderingly. Kurt allowed himself a small smile. '_She likes me_,'

'I'd say she more than likes you, hot stuff,' Kurt winked laughing then suddenly sobered. 'It's not going to be easy...she's had years to perfect the non-dating mantra she's indoctrinated herself with. Any mention of love, marriage or children will send her heading on a one way ticket to the moon. A word of advice Sam, if you push too fast you'll end up chasing her away,'

'What do you think my chances are of getting a ring on her finger?' Sam asked unwilling to let any dire warnings spoil his now jubilant mood.

'Slim to none,' Kurt replied honestly.

'I love it when the odds are stacked against me,' Sam grinned brightly.

Kurt shook his head slowly. 'Quinn's right, you are crazy,'

'You have no idea,'

'Listen Sam, I'm rooting for you I really am. You seem like a nice guy and any guy that can get past the self-imposed illusionary chastity belt Mercedes has on gets is worthy of some high praise from me. But it goes without saying, you hurt her...I'll make whatever Quinn threatened you with look like child's play.' Looking into Kurt's intent eyes Sam had no doubt he meant it.

'I understand,' he smiled. 'I'd be threatening exactly the same if it were Stacy. Watch this space, Kurt,' he assured him 'Mercedes Jones is not going to know what's hit her,'

Kurt shook his head slowly and laughed. 'I wish you luck with that,' and pulled out his design portfolio.

* * *

Quinn replaced the receiver and plastered what she hoped was an excited smile on her face. Sam had just called at a most opportune moment to tell her that they had a pitch at the wedding Extravaganza. Mercedes had stepped out to run some errands, so thankfully Quinn had not had to stumble through an awkward conversation with Sam aware that Mercedes was listening. They were booked into the Evanstay Cincinnati and by all accounts had one of the best located pitches right near Pronovia which hopefully meant they would get some fantastic exposure. He had even had his secretary book flights for all of them. Boy, the guy had it bad, she smirked inwardly. The door opened and Mercedes rushed in shaking the water from her hair.

'Ugh! It's raining! I swear that's all it ever does in this god-forsaken town,' she ranted taking off her jacket and attempting to dry herself off with her scarf. Quinn took the opportunity to relay her news, figuring if she were busy there was less chance of spotting the lie. Once she got into the lie she'd be fine but it was always at the start when she choked.

'Hey Mercy!' she chirped brightly. 'Guess what?' As she had hoped, Mercedes hadn't even looked up from her task. 'We won a competition!'

'What?' now Mercedes did turn to look at her.

'In Bride Style! To go to the Extravaganza in Cincinnati at the weekend! Someone nominated us and we got entered into a draw. And we won! We've won a pitch and flights and accommodation!'

'Huh?' Mercedes was trying to process the information.

'We won 3 tickets! We can take Kurt!' Quinn carried on enthusiastically.

'I'm not going,' Mercedes shook her head vehemently.

'What do you mean you're not going?' Quinn asked dumbfounded.

'_Sam's_ going to be there, and I just can't face him,'

'You listen here Mercedes Jones! This is an amazing opportunity for us. We are one month away from being slung out on the streets! We need this! So do me a favour and put aside your feeling about Sam for a minute,' Quinn said sternly.

'But-'

'Mercy, please. I've put so much into this business...just please help me,' she begged. Mercedes looked at one of the best friends in her life and nodded slowly. No matter how much it would hurt to see Sam again, she owed Quinn to go and promote Starlight Brides.

'You're right,' she said in agreement. Let's do this. And to start off I have an idea as to how we can get noticed' she disappeared into the store room and returned carrying _her_ wedding dress.

'What're you going to do with that?' Quinn asked confused.

'We're going to hold a raffle to win the dress at the extravaganza,' Mercedes explained. Quinn stared at her wide-eyed.

'Do you really think that's a good idea?'

'It's not like I'm going to wear it, is it' Mercedes shrugged. 'At least it'll drum up some interest,'

* * *

Mercedes' stood in the atrium of the Evanstay hotel in Cincinnati, looking at a promotional life-size cut out of Sam, proclaiming that every guest in every hotel was a valued friend and he personally welcomed all their opinions. Kurt came bounding up beside her, boots tapping on the heavily polished, exquisite marble floor.

'It's really something,' he said as his gaze took in the luxurious surrounding s of the hotel.

'Yes, it really is,' she acknowledged.

'Come on! Lighten up Mercy! We're here to party!'

'We're here to promote Starlight at the extravaganza,' she corrected as she watched Quinn leave the check in desk with their room keys.

'Ok, so we're all together...you won't believe it guys!' Quinn bounced on her heels excitedly.

'We're in the presidential suite! '

'Omigod! Omigod! We've _finally_ arrived girls,' Kurt clapped in sheer joy.

'Arrived where? Crazy town?' Mercedes asked rhetorically.

'Apparently Bride Style upgraded us! Isn't this the coolest thing ever?'

'Yeah the coolest, 'Mercy frowned. 'Does Sam know we were coming here?'

'I haven't spoken to him, you know that,' Quinn lied, crossing her fingers behind her back and sending up a prayer to heaven for her soul, when she realised that she was actually becoming more comfortable with lying and getting good at it.

'I saw him when I went for my meeting and he didn't mention anything,' Kurt shrugged. 'I doubt he's keeping track of who's coming and going,'

'Hmmm,' something just didn't sit right with Mercedes but she shook it off.

'Presidential suite here we come!' With that Kurt linked arms with Quinn and Mercedes and headed towards the elevator which would take them to the presidential suite, whilst unknown to Mercedes one of the receptionists was now talking to Sam.

'Good afternoon, Evanstay Cincinnati how may I help you,' the receptionist who name tag identified her as Francine spoke into the phone. 'Oh Mr Evans! Good morning sir...could you repeat the name sir? Miss Mercedes Jones and party? Just one moment...Yes Mr Evans, they've just checked in. They're in the presidential suite as requested sir...no problem...you're welcome, sir...'

At the other end of the line Sam smiled. She was here. It was all going exceedingly well.

* * *

Mercedes stormed out of the nightclub on the tenth floor of the Evanstay hotel as fast as her high heels would let her. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest as she choked back tears of rage and something else she didn't want to identify. _She wasn't hurt, dammit! She wasn't hurt_...Reaching the lifts she stabbed the call button repeatedly with her finger, impatiently, wanting to get the hell out of there before she broke down completely. _How dare he?_ She dashed away the angry tears that had brimmed over her eyelids and her long mascara laden eyelashes. _Just hurry up and come!_

'Mercedes!' She heard Sam calling her name somewhere behind her and fortunately at that moment the doors slid open. She hurried into the lift and jabbed her floor number praying for the doors to close before he got there. The doors started to slide shut and she breathed a sigh of relief, prematurely it seemed as Sam Evans managed to slide his body into the lift at the last moment.

'Get out!' she shouted at him as tears fell unhindered down her cheeks.

'Mercedes, she-'

'I don't want to know!' she turned away from him.

'_You're jealous_!' he breathed realisation dawning.

'I am not! I couldn't care less what and who you do!' she sniped at him. The ache in her heart was threatening to overwhelm her and she wanted to be alone and lick the wounds he had inflicted in that nightclub in private.

'You are! Don't lie to me!' he shot back. 'Admit it! For once admit that you're human and you have feelings, dammit it to hell!' He was invading her personal space now and she was losing control rapidly.

'Get the fuck away from me! Why don't you go and find your little play mate? Why don't you and screw her?'

'Why should I when you do it so well?' the words were out of his mouth before he realised what he had said. Fuck, he was an idiot...what the hell was he doing? All he knew was she was driving him crazy...

SMACK...the sound of her palm connecting with his face echoed throughout the lift. The doors opened at the top floor and she try to scurry past his stunned form to escape. His hand shot out, dragging her back in. The doors closed and he pressed every single button on the panel bar her floor.

'We're going for a ride, Mercedes,' he told her grimly. 'We're going to stop at each and every floor in this damned building-'

'If it's a ride you want, Sam Evans...it's a ride you'll get!' with that she turned away and hit the stop button bringing the lift to a juddering halt. Sam watched her silently, unsure of what her intentions were. She stalked up to him, eyes smouldering with hurt and fury, pushing him back against the wall of the elevator one hand wrapped itself around the nape of his neck whilst she pressed hot open-mouthed kisses to his lips, her tongue teasing his lips, darting in to stroke against his repeatedly. All of a sudden Sam was aware of her other hand undoing the trousers and sliding the zipper down, before her fingertips moved to trace the waistband of his boxers.


	7. A Song For Lovers

**Ok first of all I want to give a massive shout out to all of you guys that reviewed and pm'ed me. Thank you so much for your comments and thank you to lovessamcedes and KurlyQ722, and IxAMxDECADENCE for your lovely messages...BTW look out for Chord and the Great Chicken Caper where there will be fangirling over the latest update of My Guardian Dear heehee! My pal Syl whose Searching For a Heart I'm still translating and of course my amazing pals Mocha, LotusTattoo, Lady B,Shoetingstar and Vangie who keep encouraging me with this fic.**

**I have had some pms re moving the fic, I can tell you I'm not moving it and will continue to update it here but just in case my gleeforum gals and I have set up our own tumblr which houses this fic among many and the my brilliant buddy LotusTatto's Things Forgotten. The tumblr name is demlipsthoseabsdatazz (hey it was voted on ok?) We are also taking fic prompts on there plus we are building a hall of fame of hilarious quotes from the forum (if any of you have read Chord and the Great Chicken Caper you'll be in for a treat). Our resident artists and graphic designers Riga and Troutyhawk (author of Previous Endeavors) are going to be joining forces with the fic writers to launch 'Scenes from a picturebook Samcedes style' in which the artists will draw 'missing' scenes for season 3, the fic writers will write a corresponding fic/drabble plus upload a song of their choice that best encompasses the feel of the fic. So please stop by and check out our brand new tumblr!**

**Last but by no means least-RIGA!Love you lots, girl! She is drawing scenes from The Wedding Planner that will be on the tumblr but hopefully I manage to get them up via the image manager here...I will fangirl so hard at the fnished product I'll drop dead! So without further ado here's A song For the Lovers or 'The Nightclub' chapter heehee!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters apart from Amanda the bitch but yeah I'm disowning her!**

**Song in the nightclub is Neyo's 'Give Me Everything'**

**Song For the chapter is Richard Ashcroft's A song For The Lovers**

* * *

**"A Song For The Lovers"**

I spend the night Yeah

looking for my insides in a hotel room

Waiting for you  
Were gonna make it tonight

Yeah something in the air

tells me the time is right

So we'd better get it on

And DJ, play a song for the Lovers, tonight

Please, play a song for the lovers, tonight  
Don't wanna wait Lord

I've been waiting all my life

but I'm too late again

I know but I was scared  
Can't you see

I'm moving like a train

into some foreign land

I ain't Got a Ticket for this ride but I will

Ooh, play a song for the Lover, tonight

DJ, play a song for the Lover, tonight

DJ, play a song for the Lovers, tonight

Please play a song for the Lovers, tonight

Can't stop looking back no no  
One more for the lovers  
Oh brother won't you lend a hand

I'm alone in a room and I'm waiting for love

I don't know when this trains gonna stop

But I'm telling you friend I don't want to get up

Sam swallowed hard as he felt Mercedes' questing fingers brush against the tops of his boxers and he bit his lip, trying to maintain some sort of semblance of control but it was proving to be almost beyond him. _Mercedes_ was touching him; she had willingly touched him first for the first time ever and it was going to kill him to stop her, but he knew that he had to. For the sake of any future relationship they might have together. He couldn't let her touch him like this, not in anger or jealousy; they had to talk and clear the air. He had to make her understand that this wasn't just sex, that they weren't just fucking or screwing as she had thrown in his face at Pronovia. He cursed as she slipped a hand inside his boxers palming his already hard cock. He'd been hard ever since seen her on the dance floor, no hell since dinner and the want and lust was flowing in his blood with every beat of his heart.

'Fuck, Mercy' he hissed as her fingers curled around the length of him whilst her other hand unsnapped his jeans and pulled his zipper down.

'Wait, Mercedes,' he managed to get out but she ignored him, withdrawing her hand from his boxers only to shove his trousers and boxers down. He groaned as she cupped his balls in one hand and dropped down to her knees. He closed his eyes as her tongue flicked out to lick the head of his cock gently at first, and then applying more pressure before her mouth completely enveloped the tip.

'Shit,' he jerked suddenly, making his dick slid deeper into her mouth. Her tongue swirled around him, taking, demanding and he was powerless to stop her. She stroked his balls at the same time that she rimmed him delicately before taking as much of him in her mouth as she could. His hands fisted suddenly in her hair as he shuddered and stiffened against her. She pulled back, still gripping his shaft and leisurely licked a path from the base of his cock to the very tip with her warm, wet tongue.

'Does she make you feel like this?' she asked him, voice not quite steady, jealousy threading through it.

'Mercy-'he tried to interject but she just cut across him all the same. '_Does she?_'

'Fuck no,' he said hoarsely.

'Did you want to fuck her?' she continued questioning him in a voice devoid of all feeling.

'You don't understand-' but whatever else he was going to say was lost as the words ended up jumbled together in a strangled moan at the back of his throat. She brought her mouth down faster and faster and Sam knew there was a reason he should stop her but he couldn't for the life of him remember what it was. She hummed low in her throat, vibrating all around him and he thrust mindlessly into her mouth over and over again. She swirled her tongue round him in a final sweep before sinking down on him, right to the base of his cock, looking straight up at him through her impossibly long lashes and he felt the rush of cum leaving his balls shooting straight down her throat as he came and came until he thought he'd pass out. She let him go and leant back on her heels, sheer devastation now apparent on her pretty face.

Sinking to his knees, he watched helpless as she buried her face in her hands and sobbed. She was crying and the sound of her sobs rent his heart in two. She was crying because of _him_.

'No, baby…oh God Mercy, please don't cry,' he whispered grabbing her face and bringing his forehead down to rest on hers. 'Please, please don't cry,' he repeated brokenly, wondering how the hell they had ended up like this…

* * *

Sam drummed his fingers on the desk in the Honeymoon suite at the Evanstay Chicago. He knew Mercedes had arrived with Kurt and Quinn earlier and was now trying to kill time before he would be able to see her. Patience had never been his strong point and the past few days had driven him crazy, not seeing her. He knew though that she had been pushed to the limit in that dressing room at Pronovia, had seen it in the tense set of her face, the rigidity of her shoulders as she faced him and he had known that even if it went against everything he believed in to let her run from him, he had to give her the space she needed.

He switched on the TV, cycling through the channels restlessly before flinging the remote across the luxuriously appointed room. His mobile phone rang loudly cutting into the silence and he grimaced as he took it out of his pocket. _It had better not be that pain in the ass Amanda, or I'll fire her on the spot…_She was a damned nuisance, always had been ever since he could remember. She was his mother's goddaughter and had plagued Sam for most of his life. Her mother was the editor-in-chief of Bride Style and one of his mother's closest friends. The friendship between their mothers had given Amanda illusions of marrying Sam one day although he had made it very plain over the years on more than one occasion that he simply was not interested, but she still kept up the flirtation, the touching bordering on the inappropriate, the annoying suggestive conversation. Anyone else, he would've fired a long time ago…His mother, however had a soft spot for her although God only knew why. She had given her the job as her PA at Pronovia after Amanda's father had issued an ultimatum to his wayward, frivolous offspring. Tired of her endless life cycle of sleeping, shopping, dining and clubbing, Charles Reid had told his daughter he was cutting off her funds and she had to get a job or move out. Cue her working at Pronovia as a below average PA. Making a metal note to talk to his mother he glanced down at his cell. Kurt, the display read and he hit the answer button immediately.

'Hey, Kurt,'

'Good afternoon Sam,'

'You guys got here ok?' he asked politely when he really meant did Mercedes get there ok.

'Yes, fine,' a hint of laughter shook Kurt's voice as Sam remained silent. 'Oh come on! Ask me already, you know you're dying to!'

'How is she?'

'She's fine. She's in the shower right now,' Kurt told him unwittingly making Sam swallow a groan. Mercedes in the shower…_Mercedes _in the shower…._Mercedes _in the _shower. _Sam's pants tightened uncomfortably and he drew in a deep breath trying to regain control and sound normal.

'Right…is everything ok in the suite for you?' he pinched the bridge nose trying to dispel the imaged which were now floating through his mind. Mercedes in the shower. A wet, soapy Mercedes in the shower…A wet, soapy, naked Mercedes in the shower…_fuck!_

'Yes…it's just…wow….'Kurt said overwhelmed by the presidential suite. 'I mean everything is just so…wow…' Sam grinned, hoping that Mercedes was enjoying herself as much as Kurt was seemed to be.

'Yes' he chuckled 'The presidential suite definitely has the wow factor,' he agreed. Normally he'd be the one staying in the presidential suite if it wasn't booked…but this time he'd opted to give it to Mercedes and her friends.

'Umm…Sam?' Kurt's voice was suddenly hushed.

'Yes? Why are you whispering?'

'The shower's stopped, 'Kurt explained voice barely above a whisper. 'We're going to the nightclub in the hotel tonight…umm just in case…you know…'

'Mercy's got a real big juicy one…she's gonna back it up and have some fun…' Sam, heard what sounded like off-key, drunken singing in the background.

'What the hell?' he asked Kurt. He heard Kurt sigh down the line.

'That's Quinn' he told him wearily. 'She kinda got into the minibar…she found those little bottles of fruity cocktails…'

'You mean the fruit punches? The ones with alcohol?'

'Yeah, she thought they were fruit juice…by the time we realised she'd drunk about six of them,'

'Sam likes big butts and he don't know why…all the other brothers can't deny…' Quinn started on Sir Mix-a lot before dissolving into raucous, drunken laughter.

'Are you sure that's the wisest idea? I mean going to a nightclub? 'Sam frowned.

'Beats staying in listening to her drunken singing…besides Mercy-me wants to dance and when she wants to dance….' He trailed off. 'You haven't seen her dance have you?'

'No,'

'It's a sight to behold,' Kurt sighed in awestruck wonder.' It never fails to draw the guys in,'

'Wait…what? Guys? They try to hit on her when she dances?'

'Duh, always…I'm telling you when those ass and those curves shake it down on the dance floor I swear a good percentage of the male population come in their pants,'

'Sam's shit out of luck…cos Mercedes won't give him a f-' Quinn's made up rhyme came to an abrupt end as he heard a struggle at the other end of the line.

'Give that back to me, Kurt!' she wailed.

'NO! You've had _enough_!' Kurt sounded as though he was wrestling with Quinn. Seconds later he was back on the phone. 'You owe your swear box two more dollars!'

'Kurt? What time are you going?' Sam asked, urgently.

'After dinner, about 9 o'clock,' Kurt replied. 'Sam…Not a word to Mercy-me that I told you,'

'Yeah, yeah, I know. You guys eating in one of the restaurants downstairs?' he asked.

'Yeah, the sushi bar,' Kurt confimed.

'Maybe I'll see you there,'

'Bye Sam,'

'Bye Kurt,' he replied disconnecting the call. A loud knock came form the door and he walked across and opened it, frowning when he saw who stood there.

'Amanda, I thought I told you we're done for today?' he was in no mood to entertain her shenanigans.

'I know, Sam but-'The blonde started in a conciliatory tone when his father and mother stepped into view.

'Stevie!' Sam cut across whatever she had been about to say as he caught sight of his brother pushing forward past his parents.

'Sam!' Stevie hugged him fiercely. 'Where've you been, man? Stuck in that bridal boutique being pussy-whipped I hear!'

'Stevie!' his mom reproached scandalised.

'What? I'm telling it like it is…' Stevie declared unapologetically.

'Ha-ha!' Sam replied sarcastically. 'We can't all be like you cutting a path through the hordes of idiotic women that throw themselves in your way,'

'You're just jealous!' his brother retorted good-naturedly.

'Hey, son! We've only just got here and we bumped into Amanda in the lobby…she said you were in the Honeymoon suite,' his dad's brows furrowed.

'Yeah, the presidential suite is out of bounds,' Sam said whilst hugging his dad. He moved inside the suite to let them through and watched as his mom settled herself on the elegant sofa in the middle of the room.

'Yes, apparently a Miss Mercedes Jones is staying there, the same Mercedes Jones we had the pleasure of meeting at the restaurant…'his mother trailed off, delicately arching an eyebrow. Sam had the grace to blush, and chuckled as he realised he'd been caught.

'A-ha,' he said noncomitally.

'A-ha,' said his mother knowingly. Amanda watched the exchange and she was starting to come to a nasty realisation…Sam was dating someone. Someone called Mercedes Jones. She frowned inwardly. There was no way she was going to allow a noboby from God-knows-where to come in between her and her plans to marry Sam. She, Amanda had been chasing him for years! Listening to his mother drone on about her bridal emporium. Working in this crappy job! She had suffered dammit! Her father had cut her off without a cent once he had decided it was high time that she experience the real world in order to put paid to what her called her selfish and vapid nature. Of course her mother had helped her get the job as Mary Evan's PA, then the boring old trout had gotten ill and Sam had taken over. Marrying him was to be her reward for all the effort she had put in. Her eyes flashed as she thought of the money and doors being opened to her their marriage would bring. And the shoes…she couldn't forget about the shoes…

'Made any progress, son?' his dad laughed.

'Not so much,' Sam admitted shrugging good-naturedly. 'But you know what they say? Keep your friends close and your would-be lovers closer,' Oh-ho, Amanda smiled surreptitiously…it seemed like they weren't quite dating yet. Well, they would never be if she could help it!

'Is that what they say?' his mom shook her head but was smiling. 'So am I going to meet her?'

'Mom, she's only just getting used to me…if I unleash you on her she'll take off running for the hills,'

'I'm not that bad!' she protested, pouting.

'So you weren't planning on dropping hints about a quick wedding and how nice it is to have a big family?' he rolled his eyes expressively.

'What's wrong with that? I've waited too damn long to hear you say you'd met the girl you were going to marry!' his mother bantered back. He grinned at her but then suddenly sobered.

'She doesn't believe in marriage, mom. I told you. I don't want to scare her away,' his voice dropped to a whisper 'I've done enough of that already.' _Marriage_, this was worse than Amanda had thought…

'At least let me take one peek! I didn't get a good enough look last time what with the red wine flying everywhere' his mom cajoled 'I swear I'll bite my tongue,'

'Maybe one, 'he conceded, smiling at her when she clapped her hands delightedly.

'May I ask how she's ended up attending the extravaganza?' his dad asked curiously. Yes, Amanda thought, tell us Sam…

'Ok, but you guys can't say anything,' he warned sternly, biting his lip as he caught sight of Amanda. His mother waved a hand in the air dismissively.

'Amanda won't say anything, will you dear?' Amanda smiled innocently, widening her eyes in mock-earnest.

'Of course not, you can totally trust me.' Sam eyed her suspiciously for a few seconds. Amanda held her breath and tried to appear nonchalant. Maybe if she knew about Mercedes, Sam thought, she'd leave him the hell alone.

'Well actually your mom helped me out…it's like this….'

* * *

Mercedes looked at Kurt with a worried frown on her face.

'We can't take her to a nightclub like this!' She hissed gesturing at Quinn who was busy serenading the sushi on her plate. The restaurant patrons were beginning to look at them and she was literally begging for a whole in the ground to open up and swallow her.

'Quinn!' Kurt said interrupting her self-titled 'Ode to a Dead Fish'.

'What Kurtie?' she smiled vaguely at him.

'Stop it this instant!'

'Aww Kurtie…someone needs to give the poor fish a proper service…' she swayed drunkenly. Mercedes rolled her eyes as two big fat tears spilled from Quinn's eyes.

'Poor fishies!' she sobbed, heartbroken.

'Can I get you anything else?' their waiter asked, eyeing Quinn strangely.

'Yes!' Kurt and Mercedes chorused in unison. 'Lots of coffee,' Mercedes said urgently.

'Lots and lots of coffee,' Kurt added.

'Hey, guys!' Mercedes groaned as she looked up to see Sam standing by their table. She mentally kicked herself. Of course she should have known he'd be staying here…he owned the damn hotel chain after all.

'Hi Sam,' Quinn giggled helplessly, waving at him.

'Good Evening Sam!' Kurt said brightly. 'Fancy meeting you here!' Don't overdo it Kurt, Sam warned him silently.

'Yeah I got here earlier today, to check on Pronovia's pitch,' he said. 'Hey Mercedes,'

'Sam,' she replied unsmilingly suddenly looking down and finding the tableware extremely interesting. Don't look at him, Mercy. Don't think about his hands on you….don't think about the feel of him inside you…She had to force herself not to rub at the horrid ache that had started in her heart at the sight of him.

'Are you enjoying it here so far?' Sam asked. _Look at me dammit, Mercedes! Look at me!_

'Your fruit juice is so nice,' Quinn interjected happily. Sam smiled briefly at her but returned his gaze to Mercedes seconds later.

When it looked like Mercedes wasn't going to answer and the silence stretched awkwardly Kurt jumped into the breach.

'It's fabulous! Isn't that right Mercy-me?' he prodded her none too gently.

'Fabulous,' she echoed still not meeting Sam's eyes. Sam smiled sadly as he stared at the top of her head. _Ok, Sam, withdraw…live to fight another battle_, he told himself. _There's always the nightclub…  
_

'I guess, I'll see you around,' he said politely before moving on past their table.

'What is wrong with you?' Kurt rounded on Mercedes the minute Sam was out of earshot. 'It's one thing not to want a relationship with the guy, but you don't have to be rude…he was asking you an innocent question!'

'Innocent, the man doesn't know the meaning of the word,' Mercedes said but it lacked her usual vehemence. She was thoroughly ashamed of herself and had a sudden, awful urge to bawl her eyes out in the middle of the restaurant. Kurt caught the glimmer of tears in her eyes and his expression softened. He reached across the table to hold her hand.

'Mercedes, you need to figure out what you feel for Sam and stop being afraid. Whatever you decide, Sam doesn't deserve to be treated the way you're treating him,' he told her gently. 'You're a great person, but the way you're treating him makes you seem like…like..' he searched around for a word that wouldn't be too harsh.

'A Bitch,' Drunk, Quinn didn't seem to have any such qualms about sparing people's feelings. Mercedes nodded slowly.

'I know…I just…'

'Talk to him. He's put himself out there for you even though you've shot him down time and time again. Hell, he still came back after you threw wine all over him!'

Mercedes nodded. She took a deep, steadying breath. 'I'll talk to him. I'll talk to him tomorrow,'

Kurt looked at her sceptically before smiling gratefully at the waiter who brought the coffee they had requested.

'I will. I promise,'

Satisfied he turned to Quinn who was now swaying and clapping to the music in her head.

'Open up, Quinn…time to get you sober…'

* * *

The nightclub was dark and loud, the sultry beat of the song the DJ had been playing was thrumming through the air, enticing Mercedes' body onto the dance floor. Her hips had started to sway to the rhythm and she turned to Kurt, frustrated.

'Go,' he gestured to the dance floor.

She bit her lip undecided. If there was one thing Mercedes loved to do, it was dance. She adored feeling the music flowing through her body, echoing through her soul, giving her release and abandonment in one heady mixture.

'I can't leave you with her…maybe we should go back to the suite,' she eyed Quinn worriedly.

'Nonsense!' Kurt replied, looking at the door. There was no way they were leaving before Sam got there. 'She's a bit better…go on…have fun!' he insisted. She hesitated and he gave her a gentle push.

'Ok, just a couple of songs, then we're done,' she warned.

'Just go already!' he smiled widely at her. Turning to eye the door once more, he saw the familiar blonde hair of Sam Evans making his way through the throng of people over to where Kurt and Quinn sat. Kurt knew the exact moment when Sam caught sight on Mercedes on the dance floor because he stopped dead causing his companions to abruptly halt behind him in an effort to avoid crashing into him.

Kurt's eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of a younger version of Sam standing beside him and an out-of–the-bottle blonde woman who was hanging onto Sam's arm, giving the appearance of being a limpet. _And just who do you think you are, madam?_

'Sam! What the hell?' Stevie complained, following Sam's gaze to see what the hell had made him stop dead like that.

'Oh my sweet Jehoshaphat…she is fine,' he breathed 'catching sight of a sexy, curvy, beautiful chocolate-skinned girl in an impossibly delectable red dress shaking it down on the dance floor.

'Dear Lord,' he said again 'she can dance that ass on me anytime…woo-hoo! She can wear those heels and only those heels in my bed anytime…she can definitely-'

'_That's _Mercedes,' Sam said warningly 'So you'd better keeps your eyes and hands to yourself,'

'It's not fair,' grumbled Stevie 'How come you get all the good ones?' Sam ignored him and moved towards Kurt, never taking his eyes off her. Amanda centred her gaze on the woman currently moving sensuously to the beat of the music and suppressed a moue of disgust. _This_ was what Sam dismissed her advances for? This nobody?

Sam came to stand next to Kurt's seat and briefly waved at him and Quinn.

'This is my brother Stevie, Stevie this is Kurt' he introduced and Stevie and Kurt shook hands. 'And this, 'he said indicating Amanda 'Is my PA Amanda...Stevie invited her along,'

Amanda did not even spare them half a glance and Kurt felt his hackles rising. _You want to play like that do you? I see the way you look at Sam, you desperate hussy…My Mercy-me is going to slay you without even trying…_

Turning to Sam, he said brightly 'Have you seen Mercedes?' and bit back a victorious smirk as Sam's gaze once again honed in on Mercedes now surrounded by a band of seemingly eager guys, all wanting to get a dance with her. Sam stalked towards the dance floor without a word, tension evident in every line of his body as jealousy licked painfully at him.

Kurt sat back in his extremely uncomfortable stylish seat, with one arm around Quinn keeping her upright, and smirked openly. He was so going to enjoy this…it was about to go down…

Mercedes grimaced as another fool tried to dance up on her and invade her space. This one was a bit more daring than the rest and gripped her hips dragging her towards him. She broke away frowning fiercely at him and shaking her head. He merely grinned, reaching out again to try and grab her and she backed up only to collide with something warm, solid and very achingly familiar.

'Hello, Sunshine,' Sam murmured in her ear, dropping his head to place a kiss in the curve of her neck, making her knees go weak, whilst he dragged her hips back so that her ass was pressed firmly against him.' Is this guy bothering you?' The interloper's eyes widened as he took in the predatory look in Sam's eyes. Mercedes didn't want to, but her arms lifted almost involuntarily to wrap around the back of Sam's neck bringing his head to nestle on her shoulder.

'No, man…I didn't know she had a boyfriend,' the man said nervously. 'I'll just be going…' he turned heading to the opposite side of the dance floor. Mercedes tried to turn in his grip but his hands remained firmly on her hips, body plastered to her back as the DJ changed tracks. The beat of Neyo's 'Give Me Everything.' permeated the air.

'Grab somebody sexy, tell them hey,' Sam sang in her ear and Mercedes shuddered in reaction as he ground his pelvis against her ass. 'Give me everything tonight,'

'Sam,' she moaned, pleadingly.

'What?' he sing-songed teasingly in her ear. 'I'm just doin' what the song is telling me to do,'

'We need to talk…' she bit her lip as she felt him rolling his hips into her and she could feel every inch of his erection pressed up against her.

'We'll talk Mercedes Jones…we'll definitely talk,' he licked the shell of her ear. 'About how you decided to get on the floor, shaking your god-given assets which should be stamped with 'property of Sam Evans'-

'I'm _not_ yours,' she managed to whine breathlessly as his hand moved up from her hip to skim the underside of her breast briefly before wrapping around her shoulders.

'Semantics,' he countered smirking into her shoulder, pressing hot kisses to her skin on the cusp of the neckline of her dress. 'You say tomato…I say tomahto….but we both know the truth at the end of the day,'

'Sam…stop! We're in a public place…' her breath hitched as he placed a kiss just under her ear lobe.

'So let's get out of here, 'he smiled winningly as she turned to face him. She bit her lip as her internal struggle raged. She wanted to…God she so wanted to…but….the hell with it! She was going to throw caution to the wind and damn the consequences. She needed to be in his arms again with him inside her, feeling his heartbeat echoing against her and she'd be damned if she was going to deny herself any longer.

'Ok, 'she stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear.

'Ok? That's it? No running away? No fighting?' he marvelled as she ducked her head, embarrassed.

'No,' he felt rather than heard her reply.

'Why?' he persisted. She rolled her eyes and huffed exaggeratedly.

'Why do you have to ruin everything?' she complained, then arched into him suddenly as his lips descended on hers, his tongue slipping into her mouth to slide playfully against hers.

'Tell me,' he insisted, nipping at her bottom lip.

'I want you,' she whispered, looking down at the floor. It was enough of an admission. Sam wasn't greedy and he wasn't proud…he'd settle for what he could get and this was so much better than what he imagined she would say.

'There, it's not so hard, 'he teased, eyes darkening with lust as he followed the deep V of the neckline of her dress. 'I want you too…so much. But then you already know that,'

'Just give me a second,' she pleaded. 'I just need to go to the bathroom and I'll be back,'

'Promise?' he slid his tongue along the seam of her lips tantalisingly. 'You're not going to disappear on me?'

'Promise,' she murmured and he released her watching as she made her way quickly towards the restrooms.

* * *

Kurt had been side-eyeing Amanda for the longest time. He didn't know what it was about her but his senses screamed at him to be very careful around her…_she's sly that one…she's very sly_. He watched the naked jealously steal into her face as she gazed at Sam and Mercedes on the dance floor. _I know what what you're about...Kurt Hummel has your number now, bitch! _Quinn was leaning on him tiredly, her earlier drunkenness fading but leaving an overwhelming exhaustedness in its wake. He looked across at Mercedes and Sam but saw her disappearing into the restroom area. He frowned, hoping she was not running away yet again, because he seriously doubted there was a place in this hotel that she could hide where Sam would not find her. He relaxed when he saw Sam hadn't moved from his place on the dance floor so was obviously waiting for her to return. He got a nasty jolt as he saw Amanda sashaying her way towards Sam and turned to look stupidly at the empty place beside him where she had previously been standing. Fuck! He took his eyes off her for one second…

Sam felt someone tugging his arm and he turned slightly to see Amanda standing at his elbow.

'Amanda,' he greeted her grimly.

'Sam,' she flirted unashamedly. 'Why don't we dance?' She stretched up an arm to curve around his shoulder and he had to suppress the shudder of disgust that went through his whole body.

'I don't want to,' he told her shortly removing her arm from around his neck. She pouted but nevertheless undeterred, leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

'Come on, Sam…stop playing…you're teasing that girl and it's not nice,' she drawled, resting her red-tipped nails on his chest.

'What makes you think I'm teasing?' he asked his voice dangerously bland.

'Please,' she waved a hand in the air 'she's hardly in our league,' she laughed dismissively.

He cocked his head to one side and looked at her much like he would look at something that had crawled out from under a rock.

'What league is that then?'

'You know….rich….successful,' she answered, her tone suggesting that it was the most obvious thing in the world. He stared down at her like she had grown two heads. Amanda swore silently. Clearly Sam needed a little help, because so far he was being decidedly obtuse. Looking across the dance floor towards the restrooms she saw Mercedes emerge, looking straight at them. Smirking to herself she launched herself at Sam, forcing him to raise his arms and hold on to her to steady himself and then she went for the kill and pressed her lips to his. Sam pushed her off him a second later and stood glowering at her.

'What the hell was that?' he barked at her. Amanda smiled as she caught sight of Mercedes heading for the exit. The damage was done. Sam's eyes widened in horror as he saw Mercedes's back disappearing through the club's doors. Taking off at a run, he followed her as fast as was physically possible, weaving through the groups of people standing between him and his goal. Amanda was hot on his heels.

'Sam!' she shouted after him as he skidded to a halt outside the club looking up and down the corridor frantically to see where she'd gone. He saw the fabric of her dress disappear around the corner, heading towards the lifts. Turning back he roared at Amanda,

'You're fired!' before running full pelt, rounding the corner and speeding up as he saw his girl standing in the elevator, the doors starting to slide shut. Closing his eyes he whispered a prayer and threw himself at the doors, making it inside before they finally shut.

* * *

Kurt had watched the entire exchange between Sam and Amanda and had started to get up from his seat pulling Quinn up with him to intervene when Stevie said,

'Oh no…' Kurt followed Stevie's line of sight to the entrance where Mercedes stood momentarily horrified witnessing the kiss that Amanda had forced on Sam before bolting for the doors.

'Shit!' Kurt was up and heading for the doors, pulling an unresisting but sluggish Quinn with him. Stevie brought up the rear, completely speechless at the drama he'd witnessed unfolding between his normally unflappable brother, Amanda and Mercedes.

'What the fuck do you think you're playing at Amanda,' Stevie launched at her. She shrugged unconcerned.

Kurt got to the elevator doors just as the lift doors closed on a murderously angry Sam and a heartbroken Mercedes. Turning he noticed Amanda standing to one side, a nasty smirk on her face.

What the fuck do you think you're playing at Amanda,' Stevie launched at her. She shrugged unconcernedly.

'Do you think there's trouble in paradise?' she asked snidely.

Kurt's fingers itched but unfortunately he couldn't hit a woman. Quinn who however had finally understood what was going, had no qualms about hitting another woman and brought her hand up and around in one swift arc to connect with the other woman's face, hard.

'Take that you bitch!' Stevie and Kurt both grabbed her around the waist hoisting her up slightly as she kicked futilely in the air trying to get a hold of Amanda.

'Get the hell out of here!' Stevie shouted at her. 'Shit! She's strong,' he said in an aside to Kurt. Amanda fled down the emergency stairs next to the lift.

'Yeah, that's right, bitch! Run and keep on running! I see you in the next millennium and I'll be posting bits of you to your parents! Nobody but my girl Mercedes gets up on those Trouty lips! Uh-huh check it ho! I've got razor blades all up in my hair!' Quinn screamed from the top of the emergency stairwell, having managed to wrestle herself free from the guys' hold.

Stevie stared wide-eyed and shell-shocked at a thoroughly dishevelled Quinn, shrieking obscenities in Amanda's wake.

'Oh crap!' Kurt sighed. 'She's channelling Santana…come on Q…she's gone. Let's call it an even fifty for the swear box and go and find Mercy.'

* * *

Mercedes' face burned hotter than the flames of hell as she thought about what she had just done. Misery and rage churned in her stomach and of the two she didn't know which was strongest. _She wasn't hurt! He couldn't hurt her…she didn't care who he fucked…_She kept telling herself over and over again but the mantra was growing weaker and weaker as he held her in his arms. The hurt threatened to overwhelm her, the sheer breath-taking stabbing pain in her heart made her burn incandescent with fury. He'd kissed someone else…Right there, in the middle of the dance floor…And fuck it if she didn't still want him. _She still wanted him, more than anything else she'd ever wanted…_

He was pleading with her to stop crying, rocking her against him, cradled in his arms like he would a child but she broke free and pulled herself up. He followed suit, towering over her, concern blazing at her from those green eyes. She launched herself at him, wanting to break the moment, the tenderness between them._ He was just the same as all the rest…like her father…like Shane…feckless...worthless.._ Her hands skated up and under his shirt, nails raking his chest gently.

'Wait, Mercedes,-' but her mouth was on his before he could finish what he was saying. Heat emanated from every inch of her skin as she tried to do the impossible and press herself even more firmly against him. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, tears she was unaware of but that spilled over his thumbs as he cupped her face.

'Mercedes, we've got to stop,' Sam tried to be the voice of reason but she wasn't in the mood to listen. _He wanted a fuck? Was that his plan all along? To fuck her and then come back and fuck that other woman, _a nasty, insidious, vicious voice whispered.

'You want to stop? Fine,' she turned away from him, disgusted with herself, disgusted with him. 'Go find your playmate and leave me the fuck alone,'

'Have you any fucking idea how much I want you right now,' Sam raised his voice as her eyes flashed warningly.

'Don't you dare shout at me-' Mercedes' tone changed to match his.

'No, you don't get to speak, Mercy. Do you think this is fucking easy? I want you more than you will ever know but I'm not about to fuck you now like this. Not in anger, not in jealousy. Not with you still living under that cloud of denial. What is it that frightens you about me?' he pressed, relentlessly.

'I'm not frightened-'

'Bullshit! Amanda is nothing,_ nothing _to me…never has been and never will be but you didn't even give me a chance to explain before you bolted! Come on Mercedes admit it, you were glad because it gave you yet another excuse to push me away,' he ranted.

'No I wasn't fucking glad! You don't know anything about me!' she spat vehemently.

'Really? Could've fooled me! You were waiting for me to trip up, for fuck's sake at least own up to it!' he seethed, wanting to stop the words that came tumbling out of his mouth but powerless to do so.

'No I was not!' she cried folding her arms over her chest defensively.

'You were!'

'I was not! I was…' she broke off unwilling to go on.

'You were what?' he taunted.

'_Hurt,_' the word was out before she could stop it and she clapped a hand over her mouth as her stark admission hovered in the air.

Sam took the step needed to bridge the distance between them and hauled her into his arms.

'Was that so hard? 'He whispered pressing kisses into her hair.

'Yes!' she sniffled. 'I don't want this! I don't want to feel what I feel for you,'

'Baby, you don't have a choice. _We_ don't have a choice,'

'I don't want to be my mother,' she said fiercely. 'I _won't _become my mother,' she pushed away slightly out of his arms.

Sam sighed, as a feeling of utter helplessness overwhelmed him. On the one hand she had finally admitted that she had feelings for him and on the other she was pushing him away again.

'Listen to me. There is nothing between Amanda and me, _nothing._ You are all I think about and I realise that it may be hard for you to get your head around but I don't just want to be relegated to the side-lines of your life. I don't want to be your bit of sex on the side. The guy that's your go to booty call. I have pride too Mercedes, and that would destroy me,' he told her honestly, holding nothing back.

'You want too much from me!' she cried despairingly. 'I can't give you anything else!'

'You _won't _give me anything else…' he ran his fingers through his hair. 'It's not like I'm asking you to marry me and I already know that you don't want to get married or have kids and that's ok,' he crossed his fingers behind his back adding mentally _for now '_ butI want the chance to get to know you, spend time with you, share a part of my life with you. Am I really asking for so much?'

Mercedes just wanted the conversation to stop. He kept pushing her for something she wasn't prepared to give or rather she wasn't ready to give. She wound her arms imploringly round his neck, still wanting him so much that it had become a physical ache burning in her core, rubbing against him trying to seduce him into abandoning the subject, feeling the beating of his heart speed up against her breasts. Neither of them had noticed the lift start to move again continuing its descent, the override button flashing on the panel warningly. Her plan was working, his arms had snaked back around her, hands pushing the neckline of her dress back to expose her shoulder and she saw him bite his lip to stifle a groan and his head bent towards hers. She closed her eyes as her lips yearned for her press on his on them. The lift doors slid open silently and he released her, eyes unreadable as he stepped back.

'I can't do this. I'm sorry.' He told her flatly.

'You don't want me?' she asked painfully, unaware of the three faces now peering into the elevator agog with curiosity.

'You know that's not true,' he denied, grabbing her hand 'I want you more than anything in this whole god-forsaken world, but I want it to mean something more than sex. More than an itch to scratch. And until you can accept that and your own feelings then I'm gonna have to say no,'

He released her hand and stepped around her, smiling at Stevie, Kurt and Quinn with a smile that never reached his eyes.

'What if I can't?' her question stopped him in his tracks. Without turning around he answered

'You can. I know you can. It isn't even an option,' He walked past Kurt and Quinn murmuring in an aside 'Look after her,' Stevie hurried after him, shaking his head in complete bemusement. His brother could have that girl! She seemed like a whole lot of trouble!

Mercedes gazed after him with tear-drenched eyes, heart clenching painfully in her chest. Was this how he had felt, watching her walk away from him? The feeling of loss so strong it took everything in her not to cry out to him and beg him not to leave. Watching him walk away as her friends crowded around her and hugged her she finally admitted the truth that she had previously refused to acknowledge. Somehow, someway in spite of all her intentions and all her efforts, Sam Evans had managed to worm his way into her heart…and whilst she would not allow herself to call it love, she had a nasty, sinking feeling that it was something as near as dammit.


	8. Warmer Than Fire

**Sorry it took so long for the update but this was a hard chapter because I debated certain things. Big thank-you to Lotus Tattoo who read it in buts and pieces along the way and let me know what she thought of Sam's decisions.**

**Thank you for all your reviews and alerts! I can't believe this fic has got as many as it has!  
**

**Disclaimer:I don't own them so don't sue cos I haven't got any money to give ya!**

**Song is Warmer than Fire by Ash  
**

* * *

Currents that are stronger,  
Wanna drag you under.  
I would never tire,  
Swimming next to you,  
We became united,  
twisted and enlightened,  
Skating on fire,  
Yes you know its true.  
She took of her t-shirt,  
Like a worm I'd eat dirt,  
Just to be beside her,  
Every single night,  
Golf ball hail and thunder,  
Rum and Stevie Wonder.  
Warmer than fire,  
Getting into you.

These memories,  
Dear God I hope she's always next to me.

Picking and then peaking,  
With the Costa Ricans.  
Lying on a surf board,  
Four weeks of the year.  
She was in her cycle,  
Crashed her motorcycle.  
Broken toes in plaster,  
Stitches in her arm.

These memories,  
Dear God I hope she's always next to me.  
When we're deceased,  
Dear God I hope she's always next to me.  
These memories,  
Dear God I hope she's always next to me.  
When we're deceased,  
Dear God I hope she's always next to me  
These memories,  
Dear God I hope she's always next to me.  
When we're deceased,  
Dear God I hope she's always next to me  
Dear God I hope she's buried next to me.  
Dear God I hope she's buried next to me

'Whoa! Slow down, Sam!' Stevie exclaimed as he watched his brother knock another shot of bourbon down. Sam ignored him and gestured to the bartender. Another shot of whisky slid down the bar counter towards him.  
'Hey! That's enough!' Stevie broke Sam's hold on the glass by sheer brute strength and glared at him.  
'What the fuck is wrong with you, Sam!'  
'Gimme it, Stevie,' Sam tried to reach over him and grab the shot glass, but Stevie was having none of it. Sam overbalanced and fell off the bar stool landing in an ungainly heap on the floor.  
'Shit!' Stevie stood up and bent down to help his brother to stand. There was something obviously bothering Sam; he only ever drank like this when he was upset about something. Actually the only other time Stevie could remember him like this was the night after they found out about their mom's cancer.  
'Shtevie..' Sam slurred, throwing his arm around him,' why me...huh?'  
'Ok Sam, come one let's get you to the suite,' he said catching the bartenders eye.  
'Do you need a hand, Mr Evans?' the young man offered his gaze flicking to the completely inebriated Sam.  
'No, thanks. I'll wrestle him to the suite,' he answered half dragging his brother who was now giving him big sloppy kisses on his cheek.  
'I loooove you Shtevie...I loooooooove Mercedes...' Sam crooned in his ear.

He stood at the entrance of the bar, arms aching from supporting his brother's weight and glanced up and down the corridor for any sign of their parents. Granted, it was two in the morning and they would have probably gone to bed a long time ago but he could never be sure. Seeing no one he propelled his brother towards the elevator, rolling his eyes heavenward in annoyance. He jabbed the call button and breathed a sigh of relief as the doors slid open.  
'Why won't she love me?' Sam asked in a kicked-puppy tone of voice.  
'Get in,' he shoved Sam in, losing patience and pressed the button for the honeymoon suite. Leaning back he eyed his brother critically. Sam was a damned mess, his hair sticking up everywhere from where he had run his fingers through it in frustration a countless number of times. He watched incredulous as his brother took his shoes off and then proceeded to take his jeans off too.  
'Sam! The hell? Don't you dare strip in this lift!' he made a grab for his brother but with speed that was surprising for one so drunk, Sam evaded his grasp and took off his blazer and tugged his T-shirt over his head.  
'Jesus Christ! What is wrong with you?' Stevie threw his hands up in the air helplessly, as his brother stood swaying with only his boxers and socks on.  
'I love her Stevie...I really love her...we could be awesome. Why won't she let us be awesome sauce? We could be like a new flavour...chocolate swirl...mmmm she tastes so good,'  
'I don't wanna hear that shit!' Stevie snapped, sure that if he lived to be a hundred he could never look at Mercedes the same again. Arriving at the designated floor the lift doors slid open and Sam stumbled out leaving Stevie to hurriedly collect the clothes scattered on the elevator floor.  
He pushed past Sam and fished the key card that was in Sam's jeans pocket and opened the door. He all but pushed his brother in and forced him to sit on the plush sofa in the middle of the suite.  
'Sit here. Don't move.' Turning away he reached for the phone and dialled reception. He requested a pot of strong black coffee and a sandwich, figuring it might help to soak up the alcohol in Sam's system. He watched as Sam got up clumsily heading for the bedroom and he sighed in relief. Hopefully he'd sleep it off. _Mercedes Jones,_ he thought,_ you've got a lot to answer for..._ He cracked a smile and laid his head back against the sofa, closing his eyes. Who would've thought it? His hotshot, devil-may-care brother laid low by a woman that seemingly wanted nothing to do with him.

Hearing a movement he snapped his eyes open and shot to his feet as he caught a glimpse of his brother sailing rather drunkenly out the door with his guitar in hand.  
'Sam! Wait!' he crashed straight into the coffee table in front of the sofa, having forgot it was there and he was immobile for a few seconds as pain exploded along his shine.  
'Goddammit! Ow!' he rubbed at his leg whilst limping hurriedly after his brother arriving just in time at the bank of lifts to see the doors shut on a foolishly grinning Sam.  
'Fuck!' where the hell could he be going...only one place came to Stevie.  
'Motherfucker!' he opened the door to the emergency stairwell and climbed the stairs two at a time headed for the presidential suite.

* * *

Mercedes was lying on the sofa with her head in Kurt's lap, hand pressed to her mouth to stop the sobs that had been wracking her body ever since they had bundled her into the elevator.  
'Mercy-me, it's not bad,' Kurt stroked her hair gently.  
'Yes, it is,' came the heartfelt wail. He smiled and rolled his eyes heavenward. Mercedes Jones could be a real drama queen when she chose to be.  
'You're not dying, for pity's sake,' he said archly and watched as she shot upright wiping her tears away with her hands.  
'I might as well be!' she retorted frowning. 'Sam Evans! Kurt! I love Sam Evans...oh my dear God...I'm _in_ _love_ with Sam Evans,' she ended on a whimper. Kurt tried to hide a big grin at her words but her face looked so comically tragic that he couldn't help the chuckle that broke through.  
'Hallelujah and praise the Lord!' he mock-cheered trying to make her smile.  
'This is bad, Kurt! It's no time for jokes!' she said urgently.  
'You are in love with a dashing, debonair, daring hunk of a man who is clearly crazy about you although Gaga knows why after the way you treated him!' he eyed her wonderingly.  
'Too many d's!' she moaned shaking her head.  
'I couldn't have parted with you to a better man,' Kurt went on eulogising Sam.  
'There will be no parting! He will never kn-' Mercedes stopped midsentence and cocked her head to the side, a faint sound hitting her ears, growing louder as it came closer. 'Kurt do you hear that?'  
'Yes...it sounds like...guitar playing,' Kurt frowned in confusion and stalked towards the door to the suite. Mercedes scampered after him grabbing his arm.  
'What are you doing?' she said when he went to unlatch the lock. 'You don't know who the hell is out there!'  
'Mercedes,' Kurt explained calmly as though talking to a child. 'This is an Evanstay in Cincinnati, not the Bronx,' and tugged the door open. Standing in the corridor was Sam Evans, holding a guitar and strumming for all he was worth. Mercedes pushed past Kurt and stood in her pyjama bottoms and camisole with her hand on her hips.  
'Sam Evans! Just what do you think you're doing? Haven't you caused enough trouble for one night?'  
'You're gorgeous, Mercy.' He said stupidly taking in her cute bunny bottoms and sparkly pink cami.  
'Are you _drunk_?' she asked incredulously as the emergency stairwell door opened and Stevie came tumbling through. 'Who are you?' she asked confused.  
'This is Stevie, Sam's brother,' Kurt supplied helpfully as he struggled to regain his breath.  
'_Oh Mercedes! You're breaking my heart; you're shaking my confidence daily! Oh Mercedes, I'm down on my knees, I'm begging you please to come home...come on home!'_ Sam sang loudly.  
Kurt let out a loud shriek of delight and clapped his hands together, bouncing on the balls of his feet.  
'Omigod! It's so sweet!' Quinn appeared at the door bleary eyed and dishevelled form having slept of the worst of her drunken stupor.  
'Wha-'  
'_Making love in the afternoon with Mercedes up in my bedroom...' _Sam continued as Mercedes covered her face in embarrassment. Really she just wanted a hole in the ground to open up and swallow her.  
'Sam! Stop!' she pleaded but he ignored her and went right on singing.  
'_I got up to wash my face, when I come back again someone's taken my place!' _Stevie stood amazed and speechless as he watched his normally ultra cool brother, the CEO of Evanstay Hotels and Pronovia standing in his boxers no less, serenading a girl who by all accounts look like she wanted to murder him.  
'_Oh Mercedes! You're breaking my heart, you're shaking my confidence daily...Oh Mercedes I'm down on my knees I'm begging you please to come home...come on home!'_  
Sam finished his impromptu serenade by strumming the guitar with flourish and then leaned heavily against the wall, sliding down it to sit, legs splayed out.  
'I don't feel so good...' he said in a pathetic voice.  
'No wonder! Jesus Christ, the amount you drank!' his brother groused pulling him up to stand. 'And now I have to get him back downstairs...'  
'Wait-'Mercedes interjected before she thought better of it. 'Leave him here,'  
Kurt grinned a shit-eating grin, smirking like the cat who got the canary.  
'I'm not sure,' Stevie began, frowning.  
'Pfft and waffle,' Kurt dismissed waving a hand. 'Its going to be tough getting him back...what if he pukes...or worse someone sees him. No, the best bet is to leave him here, Mercy-me will look after him, won't you?'  
'I thought he could room with yo-'Kurt overrode her answer and ignored the death glare she was sending his way.  
'That settles it...come on I'll help you,' and Kurt went round to Sam's other side and helped Stevie drag him into the suite. They headed for what was Mercedes' bedroom and settled him on the bed. Mercedes followed frowning deeply.  
'No, he can't stay in my bed!' she said scandalised but Kurt waved a laconic hand, dismissing her words.  
'Why not? You lost all your sense of modesty with this man from what I could see, in that restroom the first night you met him!' Kurt replied with brutal honesty.  
'Kurt!' Mercedes was beyond mortified.  
'Don't worry on my account,' Stevie muttered 'I've already heard how good you taste,' he said disgustedly jerking a thumb towards Sam.  
'Oh my God!' Mercedes prayed for a lightning bolt to drop out of the sky and smite her.  
'I'll come by for him in the morning,' Stevie said gently touching her arm. He and Kurt made their way out to the main suite.  
'He'll be fine,' Kurt reassured him. 'Mercy may be pissed at him at the moment but she'll look after him,'  
'It's just...I've never seen him like this. I think he really loves her,' Stevie said shaking his head.  
'Just as well,' Kurt smiled triumphantly 'because she loves him too. But-' he said as he saw Stevie's hopeful face 'she had a lot of hang-ups when it comes to love that he's going to have to help her overcome,'  
'He'll do it,' Stevie said with conviction. 'He'll do it because he's not a quitter. I almost feel sorry for her,' he turned and pulled the door open.  
'Don't, 'Kurt instructed him honestly 'she's been fixing for this her entire life with her nonsense. I _knew_one day someone would come along and make her see sense...I love wedding planning!' he chirped as he saw Stevie out of the door.

* * *

'Come on Sam,' Mercedes tried to shift him without success form where he was sprawled diagonally across the big king size bed.  
'Nooo,' he groaned, a big hand snaking out to capture her wrist and tug her relentlessly down onto the bed.  
'Ooof!' she fell forward, pitching into his arms and they closed around her like a steel trap.  
'Let me go!' she struggled helplessly, breathing deeply as she felt the warmth of his body against hers.  
'No,' he mumbled. 'I wanna hold you,' he pouted like a petulant child. Mercedes sighed realising that she couldn't extricate herself easily from his hold. She relaxed in his arms and was rewarded with a contented sigh from Sam. 'Mmmm, could get used to this,' he whispered pressing a kiss to her temple whilst snuggling her further into his body.  
'Sam-'  
'C'mon Mercy, baby. Let's just sleep...please baby,' he begged as his face settled in the crook of her neck. Mercedes sighed. She'd have to stay here for a while at least, it didn't look as if he was going to let go anytime soon. Closing her eyes, completely slack in his hold, she faced the truth for once. There was no place that she'd rather be right now, than lying in Sam Evans' arms listening to his soft drunken snores. _Shit, she had it bad..._

Sam rolled over slightly moving his leg, which was currently entwined with a deliciously warm, smooth one and tightened his arm around the soft body in his arms. Said body was nestled against him, ass pressed to his front, shifting a little in reaction to his movement. Waking, he dropped hot kisses to the curve of her shoulder, his tongue venturing out to taste the fragranced silken skin. _Mercedes..._She curved her back ,even further into him, still asleep as his arm snaked around her waist and his fingers dipped below her pyjama pants, finding the top of her panties then skimming skilfully under the material, She sighed deeply in his arms as his fingers probed her folds, stroking lightly, then with more pressure before lazily flicking her clit with his thumb. He pulled away from her to sit up on his knees, turning her over on two her back, watching her try to shake off the layers of sleep that were enveloping her. Hooking fingers either side of her pyjama pants, he stripped them and her panties off in one fluid motion. She moaned, the sound seeming to cut through the air and straight to his cock and he knew that no matter what he had promised himself in the lift last night there was no way he could walk away from this now. He grasped the hem of her cami top and pulled it over her head , throwing the offending article on the floor. He moved to rest in between her legs, kissing his way across her breasts, her ribs, and the soft swell of her belly before hovering just below her navel, his tongue snaking out to trace a path straight down to the core of her. Just as his lips wrapped around her clit, insistently sucking, he locked eyes with her own very shocked brown ones. She broke the gaze throwing her head back in abandonment as his tongue tattooed a magical rhythm on her clit.

'Fuck, Sam!' she keened as he slid two fingers into her warm, moist depths. He didn't let up his assault on her button, not even when she begged incoherently, but licked and sucked insistently whilst his fingers pumped into her relentlessly.

'Oh God...you said...' she moaned, biting her lip. 'You said...we wouldn't...ohhhh...'

'I know what I said,' he replied raising his head slightly 'But that was before I woke up with you in my arms,' His thumb swept over her clit as his fingers rubbed incessantly at the spot inside her that just drove her wild. He lowered his head again and curled his tongue around her clit and that was all it took for her to shatter. Hips angled upwards she cried out, the sound strangled in her throat as wave after wave crashed through her, her pussy clenching and unclenching deliciously, holding her helpless in the throes of pleasure. Sam pulled her down towards him, locking eyes with her, his hands capturing hers on either side and entwining their fingers tightly, cock probing at her entrance. He tried to clear his head; something was nagging in the back of his mind, but he was too intoxicated in the moment, in the smell and taste of Mercedes that it was impossible for his to grasp the fleeting thought. His eyes held hers, asking a silent question.

Mercedes felt him rubbing against her pussy and she involuntarily arched he hips upwards, giving him her unspoken answer and no choice but to slide home into her depths, thrusting until he was balls deep inside her. Something was different, she didn't know what and her brain was still a bit sleep befuddled. Gasping she tightened around him as he sat up on his knees dragging her body with him. He was hitting a new depth inside her and there was nothing, _nothing_ she could do but cry out mindlessly and he wrenched himself free of the loving hold her muscles had over him before plunging back inside and a starting the action all over again. She could feel her climax tantalisingly just out of reach and her fingers drifted down in an effort to rub her clit. Sam's fingers knocked her hand out of the way and replaced hers, stroking faster and faster.

'Remember what I said Mercy,' he groaned. 'I get you off. Me, not your fingers, me,' Her pussy walls clenched around him as she let out an animalistic moan and she came harder than she had ever thought possible, with his name on her lips. Sam felt his balls tighten as she clenched and unclenched rhythmically around him, taking away his ability to stop his climax and he dropped his head and bit her shoulder and wave after wave of hot cum shot into her depths. Stroking a hand sleepily across his chest Mercedes fought to stay awake, but her eyelids closed, impossibly long , dark lashes fanning her skin. Wide awake now, Sam realised the implications although he knew that Mercedes had not. Should he tell her? Should he not? Slipping out of her gently he rolled to the side gathering her up in his arms again. The world felt so right when she was in his arms and he'd do anything to keep it that way..._anything_ his subconscious asked him slyly. Sam thought hard for a minute..._anything,_ the answer came clarion-clear. He would let fate decide; he wasn't hiding it from her exactly, was he? He was just guilty of omission nothing more or so he told himself. Mercedes was an adult, he reasoned trying to convince himself that what he was doing was not wrong, she should equally know the consequences..._But she's upset, tired, exhausted..._that annoying little voice whispered relentlessly. Shoving it to the back of his mind he pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder._ It wasn't exactly lying was it...?._

* * *

Mercedes came to, lying in Sam's arms, heart pounding as full recollection of last night's events filled her mind. Turning towards him, she stared at his face normally so animated and alive, now soft and slack with sleep. Tracing his jaw with a trembling finger she inhaled, closing her eyes,

'I love you,' she whispered, testing the words out aloud for the first time. 'I love you so much,' Her eyes filled with tears as she realised that nothing she did or said could change that fact. In the space of a few short weeks he had turned her life upside down, at times made her so angry she could have killed him, made her cry, made her feel things she had never thought she would ever feel. He had made her love him and all of the bravado, all of the fight she had put up had come to naught. She knew they were going to have to talk, knew he wouldn't allow her to pull back now and she sighed in resignation. She gingerly rose from the bed moving cautiously around the room gathering her things together before heading for the ensuite bathroom. They'd talk, she acknowledged to herself, they'd definitely talk but she needed to get the wedding extravaganza out of the way first.

* * *

Sam felt himself being shaken insistently awake and groaned. 'Mercedes?'

'No, you idiot!' his brother stood at the side of the bed, green eyes glaring at him.

'Where is she?' Sam scrambled out of the bed, not caring that he was naked.

'Jesus, put some clothes on will you,' Stevie groused. 'No need to ask if you slept well then. The real question is whether you slept at all,' His brother held out some cleans jeans, a T-shirt and underwear.

Sam had the grace to blush whilst pulling on his clothes. 'What the hell happened? I remember certain things...what happened after I woke up for instance...but not how I got here,'

'You don't remember?' Stevie asked incredulously, shaking his head. 'You _stripped_ in the elevator after a drinking session at the bar...I left you alone for one minute, only a minute, and you grabbed your guitar and headed straight up her to serenade Mercedes with Simon and Garfunkel's _Cecilia_.'

Hazy memories were trickling into Sam's mind and he grinned goofily, not at all embarrassed as his brother had expected.

'Did she like it?' he asked interestedly.

'I can't believe you!' Stevie said striding towards the door. 'Could you just for a second focus on something other than your love life? The extravaganza starts in forty-five minutes. Mercedes, Kurt and that really violent drunk girl they brought with them are all ready there. Man, I hope they keep her away from the fruit punch...she was a mean drunk, that one.'

Sam followed his brother out into the main suite and saw two steaming cups of coffee on the table.

'Thought you might need it,' Stevie said sitting down on the arm of the sofa. His phone rang and he grimaced as he saw the id on the screen. Answering it, he gave terse, one word answers before ending the call making Sam frown in confusion. Something was up with his brother, he was absolutely sure.

'What's wrong?' he asked Stevie seriously.

Stevie sighed and shook his head irritated.

'Got involved with the wrong girl,'

'Let me guess; she doesn't want anything to do with you?' Sam joked wondering if his bad luck with Mercedes had rubbed onto Stevie.

'No, other way round. Got caught up in the chase with her and found out too late she was nothing but a gold-digger, looking for an easy meal ticket,' Stevie frowned before taking a sip of his coffee.

'Aw, shit man..I'm sorry,' Sam said sincerely. If there was one thing he was absolutely sure off it was the Mercedes was the furthest thing from a gold-digger he could find. Even when she had known who he was, her attitude hadn't changed.

'Yeah, she had her sights set on this other guy, but he was way too smart,'

'She sounds a right one,' Sam commiserated.

'Yeah, she's a pill,' Stevie agreed. 'Right, we'd better get going or mom will be having kittens. What're you going to do about Amanda?' he asked changing the topic of conversation suddenly.

'I fired her ass, didn't I? After what she pulled last night...no way am I having her back,' Sam declared vehemently.

'Yeah, what she did was pretty bad...but her Aunt Jen is Mom's best friend...'

'So?' Sam said belligerently, not at all in the mood to think about being lenient when it came to Amanda.

'So give her a warning and if she does it again, then fire her. At least Mom can't say you were unreasonable. _Unreasonable,_ Sam snorted.

'Fine...but one false move...she's out. I'm having her transferred anyway,' Sam ignored the voice at the back of his mind that was telling him he had just made another decision that he was going to live to regret.

* * *

'There you are my beauty. You look precious...I'm going to miss you,' Kurt sighed dramatically as he arranged Mercedes dress on the mannequin. A small crowd had gathered in front of the pitch to admire the dress and he smiled sadly. He would have given anything to see Mercy walking down the aisle dressed in his creation but he supposed at least it was being raffled off in a good cause. It would get her and Quinn's business some much needed publicity and generate revenue from the ticket sales.

'I know,' Quinn said quietly behind him. 'I always hoped we'd wear our dresses on our wedding days.'

'Wishful thinking in Mercedes' case,' Kurt said wistfully.

'Don't count Sam out yet,' Quinn said resolutely. If anyone can change her mind, its him,'

'Hmmm, but it will be too late for this dress,' he said sadly, fingering the heavy silk lovingly.

'Just so long as she's happy,' Quinn said bumping shoulders with him.

'You're right, as usual,' he smiled casting a final bittersweet look at the dress.

'What's going on?'Kurt turned to face a grinning Sam whose smile slowly faded to a look of utter confusion as he took in the sight of Mercedes' dress.

'Mercy's raffling her dress off,' supplied Quinn helpfully.

'What? Why?' Sam shot back eyes darting backwards and forwards between the pair looking for answers.

'She figured she was never gonna use it so...' Kurt trailed off sighing tragically.

'How many tickets have you sold, so far,' Sam asked urgently. There was_ no_ way he was letting that dress go.

'About 3 books, but it's still early,' Kurt told him.

'Ok, Kurt I want you to bring the remaining books to Pronovia,' Sam said quickly.

'What for?' Quinn asked, confused. 'Are you going to help us sell them?

'No I'm damn well not. I'm gonna buy them. _All of them_,' Sam clarified, determination evident in his green eyes.

'But-'Kurt started.

'No buts, Kurt,' Quinn told him, her accents clipped. 'You heard the man! Let's go!' She hurried away dragging Kurt towards the Starlight counter underneath which they had stashed the raffle books. Sam watched them go and eyed the dress worriedly. Buying the tickets would be an advantage but what if the dress was won by someone who had bought tickets from the three already sold books? Dismissing the thought he decided he would just have to cross that bridge when it came to it.

* * *

'Oh my...that is a beautiful dress,' Mercedes looked up from the counter on the stand, where she had been laying out the various brochures encompassing the packages that Starlight Brides provided and saw a beautiful, middle-aged blonde woman gazing at the dress. She smiled politely and nodded.

'Yes, it's a one of a kind design,' she told her pleasantly.

'It certainly is,' the woman agreed, beaming at her. Mercedes didn't know why, but she had a certain feeling of familiarity but try as she might she couldn't place where she had met the woman before.

'Mercedes Jones,' she offered, holding out her hand 'Co-owner of Starlight Brides. If there's anything I can help you with please just let me know. Perhaps the woman had a daughter who was getting married. On hearing her name the woman's smile widened even more if it were possible.

'Mercedes...that's such a pretty name,'

'Thank-you,' she replies pleasantly. 'Are you enjoying the fair?'

'Oh yes. I come every year...my son...he owns a bridal business,' Mary Evans cursed the slip of her tongue. It was obvious to her the young woman in front of her had no idea who she was. She had promised Sam faithfully that she wouldn't put her foot in it and here she was up to her knees.

'Really? Which one? Maybe I've heard of it although I'm from Lima and there's only two there,' Mercedes smiled.

'Oh no, you wouldn't have heard of it...it's very small...' she lied blithely. The more she chatted to the girl, she could understand totally why Sam had fallen so hard for her. She was pretty...beautiful actually and there was something in the way she spoke that made Mary Evans smile.

'Oh well, that dress is up for grabs in our raffle later on today,' Mercedes informed her smiling back.

'Who is the designer? It's beautiful,' she gazed at it almost reverently

'Well, actually it was designed by my friend Kurt Hummel. He's just been signed to design for Pronovia,' Mercedes said proudly.

'Really?' Mary asked interestedly.

'He showed the dress to the CEO of Pronovia and he asked him to consider designing a range for them,'

'Well, he certainly designed an heirloom here,' Mary answered warmly.

'It...it was actually my dress..' Mercedes had no clue why she was telling the women this.

'Your dress?' Mary was confused. 'Are you _married_?' Dear God, Sam hadn't mentioned the girl was married!

'No...And I don't intend to be. Kurt designed two wedding dresses for me and my partner Quinn when we opened our business.'

'But why are you raffling it?' she was now truly bewildered.

'Well, you see I don't want to get married, so we might as well use it to promote our business by auctioning it off,' Mercedes explained.

'You don't want to get married? Oh sweetheart, that's a pretty bold statement for one so young!'

'I help plan weddings and that's enough for me,' Mercedes softened her words with a smile.

'What about children? Family? Surely there's a young man who'll be disappointed by this?' Mary tried not to appear too aghast. Although Sam had told her that Mercedes didn't want to get married, she had assumed it was merely nerves, but the girl standing in front of her was anything but nervous, the light of determination burning brightly in the depths of her dark eyes.

'I...don't want children,' Mercedes shrugged wondering why the words which she had repeated so often in the past were now causing a sharp pang in her heart. 'I never have. I don't...have anyone at the moment,' she said hesitatingly. She wasn't sure what she and Sam were in all reality and until they talked she felt she had no right to lay a claim to him even in front of strangers.

'Oh,' Mary fell silent, contemplating the dress. Her heart ached for her son. When an Evans fell in love , it was rumoured to be for life and all her time spent in the family had never disproved this rumour.

'Are you ok?' Mercedes' concerned voice shook her out of her thoughts.

'Yes, honey just thinking about something. Well, I'd better be going...my son'll probably send a search party for me,' she smiled at the girl her son was desperately in love with sadly. Turning she cast the dress on last look and made to move away from the stand. Suddenly she turned back around and before she could stop herself said;

'I thought I'd never want to get married either, you know,'

Mercedes cocked her head to one side, listening intently against her better judgement.

'Then I met my husband and he was relentless, even though I _told _him I didn't want to get married. I wanted a career and freedom, but he never gave up.' Something about the story made Mercedes think of Sam. 'I married him and we had three awesome children together. And I thank God every day that he didn't take me at my word because I would have missed out on so much,'

'I'm glad it worked out for you,' Mercedes said gently. 'But for me marriage and kids are not an option,'

Mary smiled in farewell and made her way towards the Pronovia stand. She thought about her eldest son and the girl he was desperately in love with. She knew Sam, and although Mercedes Jones clearly thought that marriage was not on the cards for her, Mary had no doubt her son would employ every ethical and unethical trick in the book to win that girl. Just like his father had done nearly thirty years before. She almost felt sorry for Mercedes. _Almost..._

* * *

'Ok people, 'Sam had his stand team in a huddle together. 'Remember what I've said...every third customer, send them to Starlight Brides,'

'But sir-'one of the bridal consultants spoke up.

'No ifs or buts. Tell them we're fully booked but you know of a very good alternative, if they give you trouble offer them a freebie, I don't care so long as you get them to Starlight's stand..' Sam looked around at his employees each one eying him as though he had grown a second head. 'Guys, it's not a request. This does not get out either, are we understood?' He heard the murmurs of assent and tried to relax. He was going to deliver on his promise of help to Quinn come hell or high water.

'Are you sure that's a good idea, Samuel,' his mother said coming behind him. 'I know you want to help Mercedes' business...but this?'

'Its fine, Mom,' he said impatiently. 'It's not like we're about to go bankrupt,' he rolled his eyes at her.

'I didn't mean that. Are you sure that Mercedes won't flip out if she finds out about this?'Mary frowned at her son.

'She's not going to find out. I just need to get on an even keel with her is all. Whilst her business is struggling, me being her business rival will just be another thing she uses to hold me at arm's length,'

'Are you positive she's the one, Sam?' his mother voiced the question the look in her eyes deadly serious.

'More than I've ever been about anything in my life mom,' he assured her, conviction emanating from his pores.

'Well then, as insane as it sounds, let the games begin,' his mother beamed. 'I love a good romance,'

'Yes, well...no interfering Mom,' Sam told her firmly. 'I mean it.'

'Of course not!' his mother exclaimed mock-affronted. 'I wouldn't dream of it,'

'Hmmm,' he son murmured unconvinced, deep frown lines etching his face as his gaze landed on Amanda standing a few feet away.

'Amanda,' he said coldly inclining his head towards her.

'Sam...I'm so sorry about last night,' Amanda began, the words of apology almost sticking in her throat. She was not sorry dammit! She had no choice though but to pretend she was and throw herself on his mercy. 'I think I had too much to drink,'

'Your behaviour was tactless, vulgar and downright insulting,' he grated angrily. 'You nearly cost me any chance I had with Mercedes,'

'I'm sorry, Sam,' Amanda murmured, dropping her eyes in apparent shame but in reality to conceal the burning anger in their depths. Sam sighed heavily.

'Much against my better judgement, I'm prepared to give you a chance.' She perked up on hearing his words. Hah! She had another chance to destroy his relationship with Mercedes and the fool was handing it to her on a platter. Oh yes, she could see the platinum credit cards lining her wallet already..._Mrs Amanda Evans..._This idiot right here would finance the lifestyle she deserved very nicely indeed.

'Thank you, Sam, you won't regret it,' she said smiling insincerely.

'You're still transferring out,' he said implacably. 'One false move Amanda...' he trailed off the air heavy with menace.

'No, I swear Sam...Never again,' Amanda said earnestly.

'Well then, back to work. ,' Sam eyed her somewhat distrustfully. The sooner she was off his hands the better he decided.

Turning away, Amanda allowed herself a sly smile. Mercedes Jones was not going to know what had hit her. This time though, she'd make sure to fly under the radar...

* * *

'Mercedes Jones,' the deep voice that Mercedes would know anywhere, resonated through the air. Hackles rising, she looked up to see that absolute last person she had wanted to see ever again.

'Shane Tinsley,' she returned icily, not quite believing the audacity the man had in even talking to her again.. The last time they had spoken face to face had been the day she had walked in to his dorm room to find a stick insect whore of a girl impaled on his cock and riding him for all her well-used pussy was worth. The same stick insect whore who was now standing at his side sporting an impressively sized solitaire diamond engagement ring.

'I heard you'd started your own business, ' he smiled insincerely at her. A wave of revulsion built in her throat. How the hell could she have ever let him touch her?

'What brings you here, Shane,' she cut straight to the point, not in the mood for polite conversation.

'Now, now Cedes,' the way he said her name made her cringe. 'Is that any way to greet the love of your life?' He teased, sharing a laughing look with the creature beside him, obviously at her expense.

'I'm getting married,' he said when she didn't answer and he waited a couple of seconds before adding 'aren't you going to congratulate me, pumpkin?'

'Congratulations, I can't think of any two people more deserving of each other,' venom dripping from her tone.

'Listen here, honey,' the shameless hussy beside her former boyfriend piped up. What was her name? Melody? Melanie that was it! 'I don't see what you were so upset about...you just couldn't keep your man satisfied,'

Mercedes cheeks heated in mortification as the other woman's eyes flicked disdainfully over her curves. 'Well, with a dumpy body like yours, who could blame Shay here from looking for some hot loving elsewhere,'

It was a low blow and Mercedes felt it. Tears pricked at her eyelids at the same time as a warm possessive arm slid around her waist pulling her back against a hard, toned body she'd know anywhere.

'You ok, babe?' Sam murmured loud enough for the massive linebacker he recognized as Shane Tinsley to hear as he pressed what could only be described as intimate kissed to her neck. He saw the other girl do a double take and he smiled wolfishly at her.

'Sam Evans pleased to meet you,' he extended his hand to Shane who shook it looking none too pleased at this turn of events.

'Evans? As in Evanstay and Pronovia?' the woman almost whispered in awe.

'The one and the same,' he affirmed, curving an arm around Mercedes' rigid shoulders, nuzzling the side of her face with his.

'How do you know Mercedes?' Shane asked frowning.

'Oh I know Mercedes_ very _well, don't I sweetheart?' he addressed her in lover-like tones. All Mercedes could do was utter what sounded like a squeak, in confirmation. Dear God, what did he think he was doing? 'Babe,' he continued shamelessly planting a hot kiss to her open mouth, 'Why didn't you get me up this morning? I missed you...' he growled in what could only be described as a tone of pure sex, making Tinsley shift uncomfortably.

'I-'Mercedes' voice failed her miserably.

'So what brings you here?' he asked conversationally, his manner outwardly pleasant but Shane had the distinct feeling this guy knew who he was and exactly what he'd done.

'We're getting married,' the unfortunate woman said.

'Congratulations,' he said his smile not reaching his eyes. 'I hope you enjoy the rest of the wedding fair,'

'Actually, I thought I'd see if Mercy would do us a deal,' Tinsley had the nerve to smirk. Mercedes could not believe her ears. Do him a deal? Cut off his balls more like for having the sheer effrontery to even address her after what he'd done.

'See here-'she started only to have Quinn's clear tones cut across hers. She turned slightly to see Quinn and Kurt standing behind her, equally disgusted expressions on their faces.

'Listen here Tinsley, we neither want nor need your business. Beat it,'

Sam looked down at Mercedes and asked softly, 'Mercy, baby? What do you say?'

'No,' she gathered herself long enough to refuse.

'There you have it. My baby says no folks so...' he trailed off shrugging looking anything but sorry.

'Maybe Pronovia-'the stupid woman began but Sam shook his head.

'When Mercy said no, that automatically went for Pronovia.'

'Are you insane?' Shane spat, frowning fiercely.

'Not at all...you see at Pronovia my motto has always been to keep it in the family,' he smiled besottedly gazing down at Mercedes. 'And Mercedes will be family,' leaving everybody in no doubt of his intentions. Mercedes couldn't help the horrified gasp that escaped. He squeezed her hand tightly and winked and she relaxed. _He was joking...just joking...but then why does one part of you feel let down?_ She quashed the thought impatiently.

'I don't do business with people that hurt the people I care about,' this time jovial, pleasant Sam was gone and in his place stood a serious, cold-toned man.

'As I said, Tinsley...beat it and take your no-good, beatnik, glass shoe wearing, pole dancing ho with you,' Quinn bit out, arms folded across her chest.

'Y'all crazy,' Shane shook his head,' C'mon baby girl,' Mercedes watched as his sorry ass ambled away from stand.

'Quinn,' Kurt breathed. 'You have reached a new level of awesomeness...we should let you drink more often!'

'Mercy?'Sam asked quietly. 'Are you ok?

'I'm fine,' she replied dazedly. 'Sam-'

'We need to talk, Mercedes. We can't carry on like this' he kissed the back of her hand gently. '_I_ can't carry on like this.'

'You're right,' she agreed. 'Sam-I'm willing to try dating. But I'm going to be honest and upfront. I will never change my mind about marriage and children,'

'I accept the challenge, Miss Jones. You never know...you might fall so hard for me that you won't ever want to let me go,' he teased her.

'Sam...' she rolled her eyes.

'Mercy...let's take each day one at a time...don't shut anything out baby.' He bit his lip. There was no way he was letting her go. If she needed the time to realise it then he'd give it to her.

'Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you,' she grumbled and laughed when he picked her clean up off the floor in excitement. _Mercedes Jones, you are in a whole world of trouble._

* * *

Later that night Sam stood outside room number 506 and waited impatiently for the occupants to open the door.

'Miss Silverstone? I believe you won a raffle at Starlight Brides this afternoon? How would you like an all-expenses paid Pronovia wedding package plus honeymoon thrown in too?'

Twenty minutes later, Sam was strolling through the corridor, dress bag slung over his shoulder, and a spring in his steps that hadn't been there in weeks. Completely elated, he whistled cheerfully. _Going to the chapel...and we're gonna get married..._


	9. Unintended

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter of TWP. Sorry for the wait but I broke my ankle and have been RPing too so it took along time to get written.**

**Chord and the Freat Chicken Caper is being updated on Friday as well as the next installment of Girls of the Gleeforum in which we the girls of the RileyStreet thread actually participated in a mini-rp as a fun distraction one evening so be sure to look out for that!  
**

**To L4C/Lotus Tattoo-I borrowed your name my baby!Love you loads Ally!  
**

**To my RileyStreet girls on gleeforum...I love y'all!You know who you are. Vangie a special shoutout to you for inspiring the wanky way back when with Fire in The Rain and a big hello to my bb Mia!  
**

**Last but not least a big shoutout to my RP partner Chauncey, who is the flawless Mercedes to my Sam in our RP's...its a blast RPing with you hon!  
**

**Disclaimer:I don't own them. Unfortunately waste fool Ryan Murphy does...smdh how dare he break apart such perfection? A pox on him!  
**

**Song for this chapter is Unintended by the amazing Muse..yes I want Matt bellamy's love-child. No, I'm not ashamed.  
**

* * *

You could be my unintended  
Choice to live my life extended  
You could be the one I'll always love  
You could be the one who listens to my deepest inquisitions  
You could be the one I'll always love

I'll be there as soon as I can  
But I'm busy mending broken pieces of the life I had before

First there was the one who challenged  
All my dreams and all my balance  
She could never be as good as you

You could be my unintended  
Choice to live my life extended  
You should be the one I'll always love

I'll be there as soon as I can  
But I'm busy mending broken pieces of the life I had before

I'll be there as soon as I can  
But I'm busy mending broken pieces of the life I had before

Before you

* * *

'That's the third this month!' Quinn squealed as she put down the phone. Mercedes smiled widely at her friend.

'See, I told you business would pick up…it's coming into summer and all the marriage crazies have come out in force!' She was sorting through a delivery of tiny wedding themed bubble bottles and had bent her head back down to her task so she missed the guilty look that had flashed momentarily across her friend's face. Life was looking decidedly good, she thought; what with the business doing better, Kurt now designing a huge range at Pronovia and of course Sam. Sam…the instant happiness that his name conjured up, was immediately dimmed by the fear that was rising in the pit of her stomach. For the past six weeks they had dated, it had been perfect. He had been sweet and funny, romantic and sexy, understanding and compassionate...in short her dream guy rolled into one. Only problem was she didn't know where it was going. Actually the one thing she knew was where it could _not _go. Marriage. That was still a big no and always would be. At the beginning, she had made sure to emphasize her point repeatedly to him, not wanting him to get too attached but somehow he had shot down all of her protests, telling her to live in the now and not think about the future. The more Mercedes thought about it, the more worried she became. What exactly were they heading towards? Were they just going to date indefinitely, find themselves old and grey and in their nineties still having 'Samcedes' time as he so dorkishly called it'? No. Deep down inside she knew what Sam wanted was what many other people the world over wanted. Marriage, kids; a family. Mercedes couldn't compromise her principles and decisions on the subject. She wouldn't. She worried at her bottom lip as she pondered the question. The right thing to do would be to let him go. _No!_ Her heart seemed to cry at the thought. The shrill ring of the phone cut into her musings.

Quinn passed her the handset smiling. 'It's for you,'

'Hello?' Mercedes spoke into the receiver holding it wedged between her shoulder and her ear as she began to display the wedding favours on a nearby shelf.

'Hello yourself, sexy,' Sam's warm tones echoed down the line towards her. Her poor, foolish heart leapt at the sound of his voice but she ruthlessly stamped the giddy feeling back down.

'Hey yourself,' she greeted him, nonchalantly.

'So how're you?' Sam asked.

'I'm good, real busy though.' She winced as she heard her short tone. The situation was getting out of hand. She had never meant it to go on as long as it had. 'Look Sam-'

'So Mercy, I need a favour,' Sam spoke at the same time and her curiosity got the better of her.

'What is it?' she asked intrigued. Sam rarely asked for favours.

'I need you to come with me to an engagement party on Saturday night. I forgot about it to be honest. I meant to ask you sooner.'

'Oh Sam, I can't,' she said. 'I've got one to go to on Saturday night too.'

'Oh okay…it was worth a try. So are we still good for dinner on Sunday? I thought we could swing by my parents' house and you could meet them,'

Mercedes' face blanked in shock before full-blown panic took over.

'Why would I want to do that?' she asked defensively.

'You're gonna have to meet my folks at some time,' Sam replied. 'Why not now?'

'No, Sam. No parents. We're just…dating and we're not serious,' she told him firmly.

'What? The hell this isn't serious!' Sam exclaimed obviously riled. 'Why would you say that?'

'I warned you at the beginning! I told you, I don't do relationships.' She began to feel claustrophobic. Quinn looked over at her frowning as she saw her friend's agitated state.

'Mercedes-'Sam started but she gave him no further opportunity and cut determinedly across over whatever he had to say.

'No Sam. I warned you. I don't want to meet your parents. Parents have expectations…'

'The fuck you warned me.' Sam said crudely. 'We are talking about emotions and feelings here Mercedes! I want you to meet my parents. I want you to come with me to see them and act like we're any damn normal couple.'

'Don't swear at me!' she hissed angrily, looking around warily to see if anyone had noticed.

'Take it into the back!' Quinn said glaring at her. Mercedes headed into the office, phone gripped tightly in one hand.

'You keep pushing! All you do is push!' she railed at him, somewhat unfairly. Sam had managed to not pressurise her at all during the weeks that they had been dating but she was cornered and lashing out.

'I've done nothing but humour you!' he retorted, equally angry. 'We're dating Mercedes! What did you think would happen? That we wouldn't progress past that?'

'I told you-'

'You told me what? That _you_ didn't want to get married. That _you_ didn't want to have kids. News flash, sweetheart. Sometimes life doesn't give you what you want and you have to roll with the punches.'

'I don't need to adapt to any damn thing, Samuel Evans. I'm fine as I am!'

'The hell you are! You're turning your back on something which could be _amazing_ just because you're scared.'

'Are you calling me a coward?' she fumed.

'If the shoe fits, Mercedes you'd better wear it,'

'This conversation is over,' she managed in a frigid voice.

'No its not. I agree we'll park it for now because this is a talk we need to have face to face.'

'No its not. We're done.'

''No we're not. I'm not letting you walk away so easily. I want you to face me and tell me that I don't mean anything to you.'

'You don't-'

'No, Cedes. You're going to face me and look right at me.'

'Why are you doing this!' the plaintive cry echoed down the line.

'I'm doing this to give us a fighting chance. I'm not saying we have to go out and get married tomorrow…but I want the option to at least be there. I'll pick you up on Sunday baby. I know you think that you're hard done to but…I'm done being your booty call.' The click of the receiver told her he had ended the call and she glared at the inoffensive article in her hand. Six weeks…it had only been six weeks and the damned man was talking about _marriage_? It was official, she decided, boy was crazy…

'Mercedes!' she heard Quinn calling her urgently. 'Get your butt out here!'

Mercedes pulled the door open and stepped through ,trying to push all thoughts of her argument with Sam to the back of her mind, her eyes lighting on a small, brunette whirlwind of excitement. 'Rachel Berry! As I live and breathe!'

* * *

Sam exhaled loudly trying to get a hold of his temper as he cut the call to Mercedes. He hadn't meant to come at her with guns blazing so soon, but more and more lately he'd been feeling her trying to pull away from him, from _them_ and he didn't like it one bit. Maybe the shot about being her booty call had been uncalled for, but he was so damned sick of trying to navigate through the minefield of her relationship triggers. He knew they'd be perfect together but she wouldn't even try. It had started out just being about winning a concession from her to meet his parents and had somehow turned into an all-out argument about the direction in which their relationship was heading. He _knew_ exactly where he wanted it to head, but Mercedes was not on the same page. Not yet. He knew he was pushing her but it was as if he couldn't help himself. If he thought that she didn't feel the same or want him back, he would back off entirely, but there were times he caught her looking at him with an air of vulnerability and wistfulness. In those rare moments her feelings were written uncross her face unguardedly, her eyes shining with love for him. She loved him, whether she wanted to or not, whether she acknowledged it or not, of that he was absolutely convinced. The hard part was convincing her that the sky wouldn't fall down and the end wouldn't be nigh if she admitted it.

A knock sounded at the door and Amanda stuck her head around it. Ever since the extravaganza she had been sickeningly sweet, but Sam still regarded her with an intense air of distrust. Though there had been nothing to indicate it, all his instincts told him she was up to no good.

'Yes?' he asked keeping his tone level.

'Finn Hudson is here to see you, Sam' Amanda simpered smoothing her hands down the sides of her impossibly tight suit jacket. It was all Sam could do not to roll his eyes in disgust.

'Ok show him in, Amanda,' he had forgotten that Finn had said he was coming over to see him. He got up from behind his desk and came forward to greet his friend as he was ushered into the room by Amanda. She stood, simpering and he fought the urge to just fire her on the spot. She really was ridiculous…

'Ok that's all, thank you Amanda,' he managed through gritted teeth.

'Still on your case?' Finn grinned at his friend's obvious distaste for the petite blond.

'And how,' he grudgingly admitted. 'The woman's a menace. If it wasn't for my mom…' he trailed off.

'Well at least someone wants your blonde ass,' his friend joked.

'Ha! So funny. You here all night?' Sam shot back sarcastically.

'Ok, ok,' Finn put up his hands in mock surrender.

'Jeez, dude you look so much better on TV,' Sam teased his soap star friend. 'Have to say that fake pregnancy storyline got me straight in the heart,'

'I _knew_ you were a closet _'The World Keeps Turning_' fan,' Finn fist pumped the air.

Sam snorted disdainfully. 'Please my mom and my sister watch that crap…and of course moon over your gigantor ass…What do you want Hudson? 'Sam grinned at him. 'I know you haven't come here just to see my purdy face…'

'I need a favour, dude.' Finn sat down in one of the chairs opposite the desk. 'These are comfortable, am!' he said swivelling on the chair like a demented fool. Sam stuck his leg out and stopped the chair spinning.

'Focus, Finn. What's the favour?'

'I need Pronovia to plan the wedding,' Finn said seriously. 'With Rach being who she is and me being who I am we kind of need it to be flawless.'

'Hmmm, I'm not sure…we're pretty booked up,' Sam deadpanned before breaking into a smile. 'Sure dude, no problem just go and grab one of the consultants and tell them I sent you,'

'Great! I thought we'd left it too late. So that's really cool. Rach will be pleased,' Finn told him relief evident in his face.

'I'm surprised she's not here? Chomping at the bit to get started,' Sam raised an eyebrow.

'I thought I'd keep it a surprise for her, just in case you couldn't do it,' Finn admitted. 'But you'll see her tomorrow night at the party. Which reminds me, you bringing a date?'

'No, I was going to but she couldn't make it.' Sam grimaced.

'Really? Who's flavour of the month this time?' Finn teased.

'It's not like that,' Sam shook his head seriously. Finn's eyes grew wide as the implication of Sam's words dawned on him.

'Not like that?' he echoed. 'So does this mean that the great Sam Evans…has found the one?' he dropped his voice in a fake awed whisper.

'Ha! Laugh all you want,' Sam grumbled.

'You have!' Finn was incredulous.

'Yes, I have…..but she won't have any of the 'great' Sam Evans. At least not permanently. Seems like all I'm good for is being her booty call.'

Finn guffawed and clutched his sides, unable to control his laughter. Sam pursed his lips disapprovingly.

'I'm glad you find the sorry state of my love life so amusing,' he drawled.

'Sorry, dude,' Finn said wiping his eyes. 'It's just that I can't believe after years of being chased by what I can only describe as Sam Evans fan girls, you finally have found 'the one' and she wants nothing to do with you!'

'Not quite,' Sam bit out sardonically. 'She wants my body, nothing else...not even my money,'

'Wow, dude. That's…harsh,' Finn said sympathetically once his chortles died down.

'Hmmm, but I'm not giving up though…no way, she's too important to just walk away from,' Sam stated, grim determination evident in his clear green gaze.

'I wish you luck with that, man,' Finn stood and clapped him on the back. 'I kinda got to get back...got an at home photo shoot with Rach…a kind of 'on the eve of their engagement' type job…'

'Ha! The life of the rich and the famous,' Sam grinned, rolling his eyes. 'You do realise that the party isn't until tomorrow?'

'Yes, but the readers don't know that,' Finn winked. 'And let's face it you're richer and well known too!'

'Another black strike, I'm afraid, in Ms Mercedes Jones' book.' He sighed.

Finn frowned in concentration and cocked his head to the side. 'Mercedes Jones? Hmmm…Mercedes Jones, now where have I heard that name before?' He thought about it for a minute, ransacking his brains but came up empty. 'Naw, must've dreamed it.'

'Get,' Sam said holding the door open 'I'll see you tomorrow night,'

'Yeah, catch you tomorrow, dude!' With that Finn left the office leaving Sam alone to his thoughts.

* * *

Mercedes stumbled back as a blur of pink hit her squarely in the chest and wrapped her arms around her.

'Nice to see you too Rachel,' she said grinning.

'It's so good to be back!' Rachel gabbled excitedly as she released Mercedes and enveloped Quinn in another bear hug.

'So, you all ready for the party?' Quinn managed to get out amidst clouds of vanilla scented hair.

'Yes! I'm so excited and I can't wait for you guys to meet Finn!'

Mercedes quirked an eyebrow at her, 'How exactly did you meet him?'

'It was at the premiere of my new Broadway show…we had a party afterwards…and he was so charming!' her tiny friend gushed.

'But don't you think getting engaged after only a few months or knowing each other is…reckless?' Mercedes voiced her reservations

'I think it's romantic,' Quinn smiled starry-eyed.

'Hmmph,' Mercedes pursed her lips in disagreement.

'Mercedes, nothing you say will ruin my good mood, 'Rachel declared smiling sunnily. 'I just know he's the one...'

'Yeah and that's what you said about Jacob Ben Israel in high school…'Mercedes muttered under her breath 'Before you became convinced that his hair was trying to eat you,'

Quinn's lips quirked into a smile, the only sign that her comment had been heard.

'Anyway, I need a huge favour, you guys,' Rachel continued not skipping a beat despite having caught what Mercedes had said. 'I want you guys to plan my wedding!' she chirped gazing at them expectantly.

* * *

Mercedes stood outside the exclusive nightclub waiting for Quinn, her feet slightly aching from wearing a pair on impossibly high black heels with a killer strappy black dress.

'Hey, I'm sorry I'm late!' Quinn came running up the sidewalk slightly out of breath. A large gift wrapped present under one arm.

'Usually I'm the one, who's late for these shindigs,' Mercedes grinned at her to show she wasn't annoyed. 'Come on, Rachel will skin us alive if we're any later,' Linking arms the girls nodded at the bouncers on the door and gave their names. They were whisked through to the VIP room where Rachel and her fiancé Finn's engagement party was in full swing.

'I'll go find Rachel,' Quinn said loudly attempting to be heard over the music. Mercedes nodded, figuring she would find Rachel later as the night wore on. From the corner of her eye she saw someone waving at her and as she saw who it was, a smile of pure delight spread across her face. She made her way across the dance floor to the tall, handsome broad-shouldered man currently grinning at her.

'Matt!' she exclaimed as he swept her up in an enthusiastic embrace. 'Oh my God! It's good to see you!' returning the hug, unaware of the pair of green eyes that alighted on her figure in shock, then narrowed in jealousy.

Sam's mouth dropped open as he saw Mercedes, _his _Mercedes on the dance floor enjoying what looked to be a very intimate reunion with a dark-skinned handsome guy. Finn stood next to him, bewildered following the line of sight his friend's gaze seemed to be trained on.

'You OK, dude?' he asked concerned. Rachel came up on his other side, trying to tug him away so that they could start doing the rounds of the party guests.

'That's Mercedes,' Sam gritted out grimly.

'How do you know Mercedes?' Rachel turned to Sam confused. Sam ignored her question managing a terse 'Excuse me,' leaving a gaping Rachel and a smiling Finn in his wake.

'Rude much!' Rachel exclaimed. 'I know he's a friend of yours but-'

'Rach, Mercedes is your friend right?' Finn cut across her tirade.

'Yes, of course she is.'

'Has she ever mentioned Sam?' Rachel shook her head in the negative.

'Mentioned she's seeing someone?' Finn prodded.

'No…but Kurt did…the other day on the phone…he said she was seeing someone called…' Rachel's mouth formed a shocked O.

'Sam,' Finn finished for her.

'Yes,' she whispered scarcely able to believe what she was hearing. 'But why wouldn't she have said?' she asked plaintively.

'According to him…because he's her booty call,' Finn used Sam's own words in reference to the relationship between Sam and Mercedes.

'Oh dear God no,' Rachel breathed. Then pulling on Finn's arm dragged him relentlessly towards the dance floor.

'Rach where the hell are we going?' he protested dragging his feet a little.

'We are so not going to miss this drama, Finn Hudson' she replied, intent on reaching the outskirts of the dance floor.

'So how's Ally?' Mercedes said beaming at her old high school friend. 'Is she here?'

'No, I'm just here for about an hour or so. Her due date was last week so she decided to stay home. I wish I had too but she insisted that I come,' he explained smiling.

'I thought it was around about this time she was due,' Mercedes grinned her dimples showing.

'And you Miss Jones? What about you? Any thoughts of the patter of little feet?' he teased her gently.

'Oh hell to the no!' a horrified look crossed her face.

Matt burst out laughing at her expression. 'Calm down Merce, there are worse things in life you know,'

'Ha-ha...laugh if you want to. I'm just not interested in kids.' She said grimacing, lightly.

'You'd make an excellent mother, though,' he friend complimented her warmly and she ducked her head, not wanting him to see the brief look of pain she was sure would have flashed in her eyes. She tensed as she heard the voice she would know anywhere come from behind her.

'Hey Mercedes.' Turning slowly she faced a grim-looking Sam Evans.

'Who's this?' he asked looking pointedly at Matt. 'Seems like a good friend judging from how pleased you were to see him,'

'Sam,' she replied her tone short. 'This is Matt Rutherford, an old friend from school, Matt this is Sam Evans, my….um…a friend,' she hoped Sam wouldn't take issue with her words, because after their phone conversation the other day she really didn't know what they were anymore. Obviously the fates weren't listening to her, she realized as Sam's next words hit her ears.

'Your _friend_?' Sam questioned his tone light, but rage simmering just below the surface. 'C'mon Mercedes, I'm so much more than that,' Turning to the other man he stuck out his hand and said 'I'm Mercedes' boyfriend,'

Matt shook his hand dazedly, eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

'I didn't know you had a boyfriend, Mercy,' he said eyes darting backwards and forwards between his friend and her 'boyfriend'.

'Well, I don't know whether the term _lover_ would be more appropriate,' Sam drawled his placing his hand possessively on Mercedes' hip. He sighed dramatically. 'I'm like her little dirty secret…she keeps me locked away in a cupboard under the stairs like Harry Potter. Unless of course she wants a booty call,'

Mercedes couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her cheeks were flaming and useless, helpless tears sprang up in her eyes.

'Dude,' she heard from behind her and she saw Rachel clutching onto the arm of a man she knew to be Finn Hudson. Never having met him before, she realized that in the flesh he looked even taller than he did on her TV screen. 'Sam,' Finn said again.

Matt suddenly began feeling his chest frantically and let out a sigh of relief as he pulled out what appeared to be his vibrating cell phone.

'Hello? Yes…what? Oh my God...OK baby…I'm going straight there baby, Ally? I love you,' with that he cut the call and directed a distracted glance towards Rachel and Finn. 'Sorry Rach, I have to go…Ally's waters have just broken,' with that he hurried past them and towards the exit.

'Ally?' Sam asked, a sinking feeling rising up from the pit of his stomach.

'_His wife, who is pregnant with twins_, 'Mercedes' tone was vitriolic.

'Sam, Mercedes…I see you both know each other,' Rachel interrupted brightly in a vain and misguided attempt to diffuse the situation.

'How could you?' Mercedes whispered, hurt. 'How could you shame me like this? You are _not_ a booty call and you know that,'

'What is going on?' Quinn came up behind Rachel and frowned. Then on seeing the two main protagonists in the drama before them said 'Uh-oh…Samcedes angst... .'

'Do I? I really don't know Mercedes,' Sam looked at her all the frustration he had felt since that phone call directed at her.

'I can't do this here. I won't do this here,' Mercedes pushed past Rachel and Finn, tears now streaming down her face.

Quinn shoved her gift-wrapped parcel at Rachel and turned to go after her. 'I'd better go after her,'

No sooner had the words left her lips then she was looking at Sam's retreating back heading towards the entrance of the club, following in Mercedes' wake.

'Guess I'll stay here then…' she said rolling her eyes, talking to nobody in particular.

* * *

Mercedes walked as fast as her impossibly high heels would let her away from the club. Tears of anger and humiliation blinded her vision. She couldn't believe Sam had said those words in front of her friends. _Booty Call._ She choked back a sob as she stepped off the curb determined to hail a cab. Strong arms wrapped around her and imprisoned her, lifting her back onto the sidewalk.

'Let me go!' she struggled but to no avail. He wasn't letting go easily.

'I'm sorry, baby,' he murmured against her ear. 'I'm so sorry,'

'No you're not! You're always pushing me! Demanding! I know you think you're some sort of big shot but you can't control me or how I feel!'

Sam blanched. Was that how she saw him? Someone who was always bullying her. He was assertive sure, but…Unwillingly his mind drifted back to the weekend of the Wedding Extravaganza. He'd made a decision for them both there too…sure he'd been drunk and more than a little out of it but the bottom line was that he'd failed to protect her…hell he'd knowingly made the decision not to protect her..._and she didn't know._ Guilt gnawed at his insides making his heart ache. He'd been so caught up in winning he hadn't cared how he won, even if it had meant compromising his ethics and morals. Mercedes didn't want children; she had told him this time and time again, but he'd chosen to ignore it, thinking misguidedly that she didn't know what she was saying. He was so…lost. For the first time in his life since his family had been made homeless when he was sixteen, Sam didn't know what to do. Mercedes Jones was this great, complex puzzle wrapped up in a warm, live, small bundle of heart-aching beauty and he'd tried to bulldozer over her. At least, he thought the fates hadn't been that cruel. He didn't want his child to be conceived in trickery and deceit. He wanted to have children and hold his firstborn in his arms, in the minutes and hours after birth searching their tiny face to see a little bit of him and a bit of her, feel the excitement of seeing them take their first steps, live the moment of letting go of their bicycle for the first time…he wanted all those things, but he wanted them with Mercedes and no one else. If she didn't want them what right had he to impose them? Was that love? No, it wasn't. He'd made decisions he wasn't proud of and tried to pressure her into what he wanted .He loved her so much, but he'd let his own wants and needs blind him to what she'd been trying to tell him all along.

'I'm sorry,' he said in a low tone 'I'm so sorry, Mercedes. I didn't think-'

'You never do!' 'Baby-'

'No! I'm done listening to you! You push and push…I can't do this anymore Sam. I don't want to get married, I was upfront and honest about that but you won't accept that…' she trailed off too upset to continue.

'Mercedes, please. I just wanted to be able to discuss why -'

'Yes! _You _just wanted!' the harsh words spilled from her lips, unbidden and she felt him jerk back as though she'd slapped him. She looked up at his set face, heart clenching as she saw the hurt in the depths of his green eyes. It had felt so good to finally tell him exactly how she felt but that euphoria was fading rapidly and what was left in its wake was a deep seated, gnawing ache. An ache that intensified each time she saw the devastation her words had wrought reflected back at her in his green gaze.

'Oh God!' she choked. 'I…oh Sam…I didn't mean…'

'Shhh, I deserve everything you throw at me..I didn't think,' Sam pressed his forehead to hers.

Mercedes felt his skin pressed against hers and wrapped her arms around his waist. Breathing in his scent, standing in his arms she finally whispered what she had come to realize weeks ago. 'I love you, Sam.' She felt his body tense and his quick indrawn breath at her words. Steeling herself to go on she added 'I love you but I hate what that entails. I hate feeling that you could hurt me so badly…I hate feeling out of control…I don't want to turn into my mother!' The last part came out slightly hysterically.

He tightened his grip around her and hugged her close, his face nestled in the crook of her shoulder.

'I love you too, Mercedes. So much…and I get that you're scared and I wish I could change that…But right now I'm just trying to process the fact you love me…I didn't think I'd ever hear those words…'

She gave a watery laugh at his words. 'But I thought you said that you knew I couldn't look you in the eyes and tell you that I didn't feel for you,'

'Yes… it's one thing me saying it, but very different you saying it.' He brushed her lips with his own. 'I'm so sorry, Mercedes, for everything.' He knew he was apologizing for more than she knew about. He would never ever put her at risk again. If they chose to have children together in the future then that would be perfect, but he couldn't, he wouldn't do what he'd done that night in Cincinnati.

'I can't promise I'll ever get to a point where I'm okay with marriage,' she whispered 'and kids are totally out of the question,'

'The first point we can work on together and if you still don't want to marry me then I'll just have to accept that. Because I'm not letting you go. The second…why?'

'I don't want to talk about it…I can't…'she sniffled turning her head to his shoulder.

'Mercedes…I'm going to break the habit of a lifetime when it comes to you and not push right now. But we need to talk about this…some point in the near future. Okay?' He tipped her chin up, gazing intently into her eyes.

'Okay,' she agreed, shivering slightly in the night air.

'Come on,' he said kissing the top of her hair 'Let's go back to Finn and Rachel's god awful shindig, do the polite thing and stay for an hour and leave. I can think of much better things I'd rather be doing,' he smiled sinfully down at her, before kissing the pulse point just below her ear. Heat pooled in her centre and she pressed her legs together.

'Sam,' she whined softly 'not here,' wondering despite herself how long was it polite to stay for and could they get away much earlier than the aforementioned hour.

'Actually, I've changed my mind, baby. Let's give them, half an hour tops and then you're all mine,'

'Now you're talking,' she giggled catching hold of his arm. 'C'mon boy! Sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave,'

'Miss Jones, I always knew you were a woman after my own heart!' and with that he let her lead him back along the sidewalk towards the club.

The party was in full swing as they walked back in, Finn and Rachel holding court in the centre of the room. Sam pulled Mercedes onto the dance floor as the DJ announced he was going to play 'some oldies but goldies' and she giggled as he spun her out to Frankie Valli and The Four Season's Let's Hang On. She caught Quinn's worried gaze across the dance floor and gave her a radiant smile. Her friend visibly relaxed giving her the thumbs up before rolling her eyes and subtly gesturing to the mohawked guy beside her, who apparently was trying to chat her up. Mercedes smiled widely; Quinn needed a bit of a distraction so she was all for it. Sam followed her line of sight and groaned.

'I see Puck's made a beeline for Quinn,'

'Friend of yours?' she teased.

'Yes. He's a bit of a flirt but his heart is in the right place. He was with me the night I met you,' he said smiling in remembrance. 'He saw her then and thought she was gorgeous. Looks like he's taking his chance,'

'Well, I wish him luck with that,' Mercedes said breathlessly as he dipped her.

They heard Finn's tones come through the speakers and looked up to see him in front of the DJ with Rachel by his side.

'Hey everyone, thank you for coming to help us celebrate our engagement. 'He said smiling goofily at Rachel. 'It means a lot to us and we totally look forward to seeing you in a couple of months' time at our wedding,' he continued.

'Which is going to be totally amazing and inspirational by the way,' Rachel gushed grabbing the microphone from her fiancé. 'Chic, classy and a la mode! Planned to perfection by Starlight Brides. Owned my two bridesmaids Quinn Fabray and Mercedes Jones!'

'What?' Finn looked at her dumbfounded. 'I already asked Pronovia, Sam's company to do it Rach.'

'What?!' Rachel looked upset. 'No, Finn. Mercedes and Quinn are doing it,' she folded her arms across her chest.

'But Pronovia is established Rach. They'll be able to cope with our requirements.'

Sam tacked through the crowd towards where Finn and Rachel were standing, pulling Mercedes with him.

'I don't care, Finn. I want Starlight,' Rachel actually stamped one small foot in temper.

'It's ok Rach,' Sam heard Mercedes say to her friend. 'Don't worry about it. Use Pronovia,'

Sam's mind raced, wheels turning furiously in his head and coming up with an insane plan.

'Yes, that's right Rachel. Use us, I mean I doubt Starlight could cope with the kind of wedding you want,' he shrugged nonchalantly.

'_Excuse me?_' he heard Mercedes irritated tones. 'We could so cope, Mr Evans!'

'Really?' he pretended to brush an imaginary piece of lint off his jacket

'_Yes!_' she hissed crossing her arms.

'I don't know, it's not as though you guys have the experience. 'He continued in a conciliatory tone. 'But don't feel bad,' he patted her back.

'Please we could so take you!' now she was irritated. Sam smiled , come closer said the spider to the fly…

'Well, we could make a wager…I mean both sides could present their ideas to Finn and Rachel here…'

'Oh Finn! A competition! Both of them competing for the honour to plan our wedding!' Rachel shrieked excitedly clapping her hands.

'A wager?' Mercedes looked at him uncertainly, already shaking her head.

'Yes…I'm thinking if you win I pay two months of your lease on the shop..' he trailed off enticingly.

'And if you win?' she voiced the unthinkable.

'Then you agree to meet my parents. We go to their house as a couple,'

'No,' her refusal was immediate. 'I'm not ready-'

Quinn gripped her elbow from behind and leaned forward to whisper urgently in her ear.

'Mercy, we could do with the money…we're still not out of the woods yet! We can totally take him!'

Mercedes considered Quinn's words and bit her lip mulling the situation over in her head.

'You're on!' she smiled smugly at him, thinking about Quinn, her secret ace in the hole. Quinn was a great wedding planner…scratch that she was an_ amazing _wedding planner…Her ideas were romantic and fun, innovative and creative…they would win this.

'Not so fast Ms Jones,' he cautioned. 'There are requirements to this deal,' She frowned as she heard his words. _Requirements?_

'You, not Quinn do the presentation. I will do mine. No outside help. You against me,' his gaze held hers implacably.

'That's-'Mercedes broke off. There was a reason she didn't get directly involved in wedding planning. That was Quinn's job.

'You can do it, Mercy,' Quinn reassured her gently. Finn and Rachel looked at her expectantly.

'OK,'she nodded slowly against her better judgment 'I accept,'

Boom, Sam thought , the trapped was sprung.

'Shall we give it a week for the preliminary plans?'

'OK..a week.' She agreed warily.

'Excellent!' Rachel bounced on the balls of her feet. 'So exciting!'

'You think you're slick don't you,' Mercedes laughed in Sam's ear as he brought her close.

'Sometimes you've gotta blindside your opponent,' he teased her, smile suddenly fading as his eyes drifted down to her lips. 'Let's get out of here,' he practically growled.

Mercedes felt the shiver of anticipation slither down her spine as heat engulfed her body, pulsing like fury between her legs.

'Yes, let's go,' she agreed, voice breathy and hitched. She allowed him to pull her in the direction of Finn and Rachel. She caught Quinn's eye as she danced energetically with the mohawked guy on the floor and indicated the exit. Her friend gave her the thumbs up before pointing at the guy she was dancing with and making the universal sign for giggled before turning to face Finn and Rachel.

'We're going guys,' Sam was saying.

'But it's not even ten o'clock!'Finn protested, shocked.

'I've got um, a thing..' Mercedes mumbled unconvincingly.

'Yeah, like she said. We got a thing,' Sam quickly kissed Rachel on the cheek and shook hands with Finn before tugging her towards the exit relentlessly.

Finn and Rachel gazed disbelievingly after them as a late arriving Santana and Kurt came up behind them.

'What gives? Where are Trouty and Mercedes going?' Santana frowned.

'They have a thing…' Rachel relied dazedly. A moment's silence reigned before all four in unison said

'Oh, they're fucking,'

* * *

Sam had her pressed up against the door of his apartment, just like he'd had her in the elevator ride up to his floor, as he'd had in the the alley behind the club on the way to piking his car up, as he'd had her up against said car. Lips kissed their way down her neck as his thigh nudged her legs apart and rubbed against her deliciously.

Oh God,Sam,' she moaned, head falling back. 'We can't right here..' In a matter of seconds he had opened the door and pulled her inside the dark pressed her into the wall again and she moaned in response.

'Baby,' he whispered between kisses,'We're not going to make it to the bed,' as his hands raised the skirt of her dress.

'I don't care,' she sighed back reaching for his belt buckle. 'C'mon, Sam..'

'Here? Against the wall?' his hands hooked into her panties and ripped the flimsy material straight down the sides, flinging them away across the floor.

'Yes…Here,,I don't care where as long as you're inside me…' Reaching into his wallet her pulled out a condom and quickly opened the foil packet, trying not to think about the one time he failed to protect her. Her hands reached down and surely but quickly helped him sheath himself. She gasped as he lifted her up, back flat to the wall and then guided her inexorably down, to impale her on his cock.

'Fuck,' he hissed as he felt her walls close tightly around him.'

'Oh God,' she moaned, feeling so full of him she didn't know where he ended and she began. His hips snapped up, hitting the spot that made her keen. She knew she was close,had known it as they had left the club, had felt the wetness between her legs grow as he'd touched her in the alley behind the club, against the car and in the elevator on the way up to the apartment.

His lips traced her nipple through the thing material of her dress and she bit down on her lip to keep from screaming as she tightened around him unexpectedly, her climax ripping through her. She briefly wondered how the hell she had come so quickly just from him touching her nipples and through her dress at that but could barely focus as Sam grasped her hips lifting her up and bringing her back down over and over again.

'Shit Mercy,' he moaned into her neck as he felt her coming around him. His hips worked faster and he slid a hand in between them, rubbing desperately, wanting to feel her coming again on his cock as he came ensconced in her sweet, hot depths.

'Sam!' she screamed now, his touch taking her back to the edge relentlessly, a breath-taking second her body clenched around him tightly, her screams locked in her throat as finally the moment broke and she fell apart like never before.

'I love you,' he groaned as he came his manic thrusts driving her further up he wall 'I love you so much,'. He dropped his forehead to hers, breathing heavily, eyes locking with hers in the dim light.

'I love you too,' she whispered the words still alien to her, but feeling so very right. He kissed her gently, knowing how much it had cost her to say the words and loving her even more for them.

'I'm going to carry you to bed, Ms Jones..' he whispered against her lips. 'We're going to negotiate living arrangements,' he continued placing a finger over her lips as she started to protest.

'I'm not letting you out of the bed until we see eye to eye on the situation,' he promised as here eyes widened.

Somewhere between her eighth and ninth orgasm of the night, Sam and Mercedes reached an agreement favourable to all…..

* * *

Across town in a dimly-lit apartment, Steven Evans spoke harshly into his cell phone.

'Dammit I know that! I can't help you with that. He's happy… _I won't_…I can't hurt him like that,' he listened as the woman at the end of the line told him in no uncertain terms what would happen if he didn't comply with her wishes.

'I'll get the money…just..give me a bit of time…' the click at the end of the line told him he was now speaking to dead air.


End file.
